In comparison, wraparound sunglasses are a better choice for sunglasses because of their wraparound design. First, they will offer better eye protection by preventing UV rays from more than one angle, the front and the sides. Second, they can shield wind or other fine articles from reaching your eyes and cling firmly to your face. Third, they can make your face look smaller. Fourth, they will protect the skin around your eyes by covering larger parts of your face with their distinct shapes. All and all, these features undoubtedly make wrap round sunglasses an ideal choice for you to enjoy comfort and fashion at the same time.





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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.


Who do y'all use for your cell phone service? Living where I do, it was a bit tricky for us to find a provider that had coverage. In fact, after a year of dealing with AT&T's poor service, we ended up switching to Verizon. So far, it's working pretty good.

Those of you who know me know that I don't follow the latest cell phone trends. Keeping that in mind, it wasn't much of a surprise to find out that there was one that I hadn't heard of. Boost Mobile wasn't an option when I was looking for a new provider because I hadn't heard about them. That being said, tonight, I'm going to tell you what I've learned about them.

One of the coolest things is their Re-Boost. First, it has a cool company themed name and second, it just means that it's super easy to reload your phone with minutes. In fact, there are three different ways to do it. You can do it over the phone, you can do it online or you can do it in person at a store that offers the service. Plus, you can use your debit/credit card and set up a one time payment or a recurring payment. There's also the option of picking up one of their cards and registering it with your account. How simple is that?

They also have tons of phone options for you to choose from, including the Blackberry. With the blackberry or other phones, that they offer, you can easily keep up with your Facebook page, Twitter account or other forms of social media/networking. Personally, I don't currently do this but it has crossed my mind that it might be fun to be able to. After all, doesn't everyone want to know about the fantastic sale on groceries that I found or the fact that I'm chasing my cat around the neighborhood yet again? C'mon, y'all know you do! If I switched to Boost, I might get one of the cool phones that allowed me to keep the world informed of my exciting life. ;)

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Would you like a vacation? I know that I would! It just wasn't in the cards for this summer because of finances and the fact that we've been trying to do things around the house. I was lucky enough to get away a couple of times and the boys and I did have an awesome time backyard camping!

Now that we all know we would love love love a vacation, can you imagine taking a vacation with 100 of your closest friends? Do any of us have 100 close friends? Probably not, but who cares! We could invite our closest friends closest friends and their closest friends too!

No idea what I'm talking about? Well, you need to check out the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes! They're giving away an Entire hotel for a weekend! That's 100 rooms for 2 nights! On top of that, they're giving away 100 weekends for a guest plus three of their friends! Those are being given away daily!

I was just talking with a friend of mine who is going through a tough period and she told me about two other friends who are going through similar things. It would be so wonderful if the 4 of us could snag one of those free weekends for some quality girl time! I think if I won, that would be exactly what I would do. Now, the big question is, where would we go? Boston sounds nice...

Now, if you're interested in trying to win one of these fantastic weekends, it's really easy. You just go to the website and click the enter button! If you win, make sure you come back and let me know!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Member's Mark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's been far too many years since my babies were baby enough to need formula. Both of my boys were bottle fed for various reasons. I remember trying to decide what the best formula was for the best price. Keeping that in mind, I happily agreed to let all of you know about Member's Mark formula.

Recently, they changed their packaging.  It has a nice clean look and easy-to-read product information. Other than that, nothing has changed! It's still the same great formula in the same sized can. It is available at Sam's Club and is quite often the same or lower price than other brands of formula.

Member's Mark formula meets all FDA guidelines and offers complete nutrition for your baby's health and development. It has DHA and ARA to help support your little one's brain and eye development. If I were to have another little one, this is a formula I would certainly look into.

If you would like to look more into Member's Mark formula, you can do that at http://www.membersmarkformula.com for more information and to access their savings calculator. Plus, they're on Facebook! (Then again, who isn't on Facebook these days?) You can find them at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Members-Mark-Infant-Formula/41995099898

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you like to window shop? I'll be honest. I'm not a window shopper. It always makes me want and knowing I don't have the money to get bums me out. However, if I convince myself that I'm not so much window shopping as creating a wish list, it seems to go better. In this case, I was asked to pretend that I had a $200 gift card to Ramblers Way.  $200 isn't much when it comes to quality and yumminess.

So, what would I buy? I think I would get one of the shirts that you see to the left there. It's a scoop necked top made out of superfine, 18.5 micron Rambouillet wool. Priced at $75, I can't see me buying more than one but you never know! I think I would also get their camisole. It looks so super soft and it would be lovely to wear while working out or just relaxing. Then again, they have a gorgeously soft looking henley that is priced at $90. Hmm...if I added $30, I could have all 3!

I'll be honest though. When I think of wool, I think of my winter socks and things that keep me super warm. I find it hard to imagine wearing wool in the middle of summer. Then again, the sheep do it, so I guess I could too!

Ramblers Way raises Rambouillet sheep while trying to maintain humane and organic farming practices. They bring their sheep in each night and raise their own feed. I love that, if you go to the website, you can actually read about the different sheep that they have. I would love to learn more about how they've created their year round wool products, but sadly that page seems to be missing from their website. No worries, I'll be going back soon to see if it's available!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

As some of you know, I have a special needs child. Ben is 10 now and has Cerebral Palsy. While he gets around well enough, I have often wondered about the future. I've wondered if he'll be able to drive like "normal" people. I've wondered if he'll be able to get around on his own. Luckily, I think the answers to both of those questions is yes.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a mom, I do the grocery shopping for my family. Ok, I also do it because I'm the only adult who lives in this house, but still, even when I was married, grocery shopping was my job. So, when money started getting tighter and tighter around here, I started switching to cheaper brands and in some cases, even store brands. Those who know me know that I don't tend to go towards what I've dubbed "generics." But, when money is tight, you do what you have to do.

According to a report I just read, I'm not alone in that way of thinking. Eight out of ten supermarket shoppers see no improvement in the economy, and 40% say things have actually gotten worse in recent months. That's a bit scary, isn't it? I mean, I live in Michigan so I know the economy sucks. I know people who have been trying to get a job here for over a year and are just now getting a few leads. So, I'd have to say that maybe it's improving, but it sure is improving slowly.

It turns out that I'm not alone in buying more store brand than I used to be either. The same report said that 62% of consumers plan to buy more store brands as they deal with the tough economy. It seems that 57% of the shoppers that were surveyed actually say they're frequent buyers of store brands. I don't think I would put myself in that category, but I can understand people who are!

This next group is probably the category that I'm in. The survey showed that 43% of shoppers are trying store brands for the first time where they used to buy only national brands. Plus, 97% of the folks who are now trying out the store brands are happy with them. I've been a bit hit and miss in that area but I was surprised that some of the store brands are quite good.

Now, if you want to check out the report, you can find it at Recession, Recovery & Store Brands. Also, if you're at Walmart and need diapers, formula or other baby needs, you can check out their store brand: Parent's Choice.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) has announced the winners of the “You Gotta See This” Video Contest and they've asked me to share them with you. The folks who entered had to create videos that showed the impact of improved vision on their lives. There were a lot of entrants, but today I'm only going to share the links to the top winners in the three different categories and the big grand prize winner. The lucky winner won $5,000! Imagine what you could do with that much money. I know that I am.

Now, if you don't watch any other videos, you have to watch the one done by the winner. It's less than 2 minutes long and is fantastic! It's a music video and I have to say the guys in it are cute and I love the lead singer's hair! Maybe I ought to do something like that with mine....

iLASIK Video Contest Grand Prize Winner:
“You Gotta See This Music Video” by Alex

See? Wasn't that great? What do you think about the hair thing? Would it look good on me? Ok, so now that you've watched that one, I bet you want to see the other winners, right? Well, here you go. The top winner in each of the three categories are....

Category 1: My Contacts Are Getting In The Way Of My Good Time
“You Gotta Be Kidding Me! A True Story” by Robbo

Category 2: My Favorite Sport Or Activity Would Be So Much Cooler With Better Vision
“iLASIK Would Make Surfing More Enjoyable” by jhbmw007

Category 3: You Should See Life After The iLASIK® Procedure
“Orbs Of Perfection” by Danny V

The iLASIK Video Contest winners and entrants can all be seen at www.GottaSeeThisNow.com. While there, you can also register to receive valuable eye care products. Who doesn't need valuable products? I know I could certainly use them!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank goodness it's nearly dinner time. This post is making me super hungry and I'm just starting to write it! Are you guys familiar with hormel foods? I admit that I am, but I haven't bought any of their chili in ages. That might change since I just saw their Chili Master line. It looks scrumptious! I'm thinking I need to pick up a can of their White Chicken Chili with beans. I'm thinking it sounds delicious and then I can make a nice yummy salad and some breadsticks to go alongside it.

Ok, now that I've made myself even hungrier, I do want to share a delicious looking hormel recipe with all of you. It's a tough one so you might want to go to the website and print this one out.

Coney Island Dogs-
8 hotdog buns
1 can Hormel® Chili No Beans
8 hotdogs

Directions:

1. Grill hot dogs.
2. Heat chili according to package directions.
3. Place hot dogs in buns. Top each with chili and favorite toppings such as mustard, pickle relish, chopped sweet onion, shredded Cheddar cheese and chili sauce.

Totally hard, right? Nope and totally delicious! I've been wanting chili dogs so bad lately and I think I'm going to give into my craving and pick up some deliciousness when I go into town on Tuesday. Now, I just hope that I still recognize the packaging. Over the years, the packaging has changed and since it's been a while, I'm not sure what it looks like anymore! I know! I'll just look for the classic Hormel foods logo!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox. All opinions are 100% mine.

I would so love to go out on a date night, but certainly not with all of the excitement that happens in this movie. Tina Fey and Steve Carell star in the new Date Night Movie, that is opening in theatres tomorrow, April 9th, 2010. Thinking they're going to go out for a nice dinner, the couple ends up being involved in shootouts, car chases and even a stop at a strip club!

Now, while I might not want to go through all of that in one night, I think this might make a fun movie to go and see on a more sedate form of their date night. I know dinner and a movie is so...I don't know, old fashioned (?) but it's still one of my favorite ways to enjoy a night out. Besides, even if your date is a bit of a flop, you at least have the movie to talk about over dinner, right? So, while I may not get the opportunity to go see this movie, I hope that some of you will and you can fill me in over a nice dinner. Ok, maybe not dinner but perhaps I can post a recipe and we can pretend while you tell me all about how this movie turned out.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alvin and the Chipmunks. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about all of you, but movies are love in this house. The boys and I often sit down before bed to watch a movie and just relax together as a family. Due to financial constraints, we don't get to go out to the theatre very often, but when we do, we make sure we pick something that we all want to see. Back at Christmas, our yay friend Jim gave us a "family" pack to the movies in Lansing. The boys immediately jumped all over seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I'm glad that they did. We loved the movie! We all voted that it was actually better than the first.

Of course, as a mom who lived way back in the 1900's and as a dj who loves playing slightly offbeat music, I was thrilled when Alvin and the gang came back out to play. I love sharing "old" things made new again to my boys.

Now, the movie is out on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download! We're all twitching to add it to our collection. It may be a while before we can afford any new movies, but when we can, this one is going to be right at the top of our list. Plus, there's the Double DVD Pack that includes "The Squeak Along" Bonus Disc, with more music, mayhem and all-new singalongs!

If you're looking for some good family friendly fun, don't hesitate but buy it now. Plus, check out http://www.foxfamilyflicks.com/ for More Munk Mayhem.

Just like any other person, I have a mental wish list. Ranking up somewhere in maybe the middle is a new monitor. Don't get me wrong, I have a great one but I would love a flat screen so my whole desk wasn't taken up. It doesn't have to be anything big like a 24 monitor, just something decent sized.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of wellnessdaily.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

I keep telling myself that I need to start eating better and taking better care of myself. I think I've probably used every excuse as to why I haven't done it. It's no fun cooking healthy just for myself. It's so much easier to eat and prepare the junk. I'll start doing my yoga dvd once I have this room clean or that room clean. I have this great new water bottle and I'm still not drinking enough water. I think what I really need is an accountability partner in this. My other big problem is that sometimes there is so much confusing information out there.

Enter www.wellnessdaily.com. It is this great site with tons of information on it. I've barely started to explore it and I'm planning on registering and checking further into it. Just by glancing at their front page, I saw articles on: eating right, losing weight, staying fit and finding life balance. They also have healthy recipes and videos.

I think I'm going to register there. The first 25,000 people to register will receive a $5 coupon towards Jennie-O products. Plus, if you register you can enter the Twitter contest for a chance to win a WellnessDaily.com prize package which include coupons for a year-long supply of Jennie-O Turkey Store product and a one-year gym membership, valued at $1,250. You just have to Tweet: “Enter to win $ towards a gym membership & JENNIE-O turkey products. Just follow @wellness_daily & RT this! http://bit.ly/tbd123.&quot (The Twitter promotion ends March 10th so don't procrastinate!)

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cryo-Cell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

As all of you know, I'm a big fan of companies that do thing to help out people in need. Cryo-Cell International has decided for the entire month of February (yes, I know..all few remaining days left) they will donate $25 from each enrollment to the “Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund”.

Since 1992, Cryo-Cell has been helping families preserve the umbilical cord blood from their newborns. Cord blood, or umbilical cord blood, is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. In the past, this blood was discarded after delivery. But once scientists discovered it was a rich source of stem cells, umbilical cord blood became a viable substitute to bone marrow in thousands of successful transplants. Cells taken from your newborn are a perfect match for your baby for his or her lifetime. Along with cord blood banking, Cryo-Cell Cord Blood Bank is pioneering the way in research, to find more solutions to preserve stem cells in a noncontroversial way.

I know that stem cells is a touchy subject with a lot of people. However, as the parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy, I do wish that I had known about having cord blood banked. I wouldn't have hesitated to use it to try to help Ben. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware that this was a possibility. I want to encourage all of you, whether you're pregnant or planning on having another child, to look into Cryo-Cell to see if it's a good option for you and your family. If you do decide it's something that you want to do, don't hesitate to enroll now.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are all of you anything like me? I expect that you are or you wouldn't read here, right? So, if you're like me, you do a ton of stuff online. I do my banking, a bit of shopping, tons of blogging, e-mail as well as research and of course, chatting with friends and playing on Twitter. If I stopped to think about it, I'd be lost without my computer and a reliable internet connection.

Like I said, I do a ton of stuff online and it saves me time. My closest bank branch is 30-40 minutes away. The closest Walmart, Target or any other decent shopping store? You got it..30-40 minutes away. I praise the Gods of Technology for inventing the internet and high speed connections. I shudder to think what it would be like to try to play a game on Facebook on dial up.

Speaking of Facebook, have you guys seen how many companies are now on there? You can even go check out Charter’s Facebook page. Now, I don't personally use Charter because well, they're not available out here in the boonies, but if you want to stop waiting and get going with a high speed internet connection, I'm giving you all of the links you need to check them out. They've even provided this pretty ad below for me to show you guys. So, check them out and decide for yourself. Is Charter high speed the service for you?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

How would y'all like to enjoy an exclusive Italian Culinary Weekend right after Valentine's Day? I know it sure sounds wonderful to me. From February 26th-27th, the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is bringing Italy to Branson, Missouri. The weekend will include a reception featuring antipasto and hors d’oeuvres paired with great Italian wines, on Friday night. On Saturday, participants will experience a hands-on cooking demonstration. The evening wraps up with a 5 course dinner.

I think this would be a great couple's weekend and I've seen the pictures of the hotel and it's fantastic. I love the fact that they're pet friendly, as well as being close to so many of the great places that Branson has. Personally, I would love to stay an extra day or so to check out the theatre district and the museums.

Now, I won't be attending this event, but you never know when another one might come up that I'll be able to go to go to. I've never been to Branson, but I've heard great things about it. For those of you who are interested in this event, check out the "fine print."

Package costs are based on double occupancy and start at $429.00 (excluding tax and gratuity) for two people. It includes deluxe king or double queen accommodations Friday and Saturday night, Friday evening reception, Saturday cooking school, Saturday evening five-course dinner, and a goodie bag filled with items for the home chef. Reservations must be made prior to February 23, 2010.

If any of you do go (or have been to Branson), I would love to hear about it. Is it a couples retreat or more of a family destination?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dr Oetker. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ok, my Canadian friends, this one is just for you. How would you like to have an eleven-day Italian wine tour for two, complete with romantic meals, sightseeing and more? Heck, if it were me, I'd be jumping all over this one. Since the contest ends on February 15, 2010, you could even use it as a slightly late Valentine's getaway. Hmm..except I just read the rules and it actually ends June 30, 2010. Well, how about a lovely summertime getaway then?

Now, I can hear all of you now, "Katie, what you would do is all fine and dandy but get to the details! How do we win such fantasticness?" Ok, ok...here's the scoop:

All you have to do is register now to become a Savoury Moments member, and get a bonus PIN to enter the Dr Oetker Adventure Romantica Contest. That will get you one entry. After that, you'll just have to go out and purchase specially marked packages of Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza. Yep, it's as simple as that. I don't think it could get any simpler, really. Now, keep reading to find out all of the "fine print."

There are 100,008 Instant Win Prizes available to be won as follows:

• 100,000 - Ristorante Pizza Coupon (good for any variety where Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizzas are available) with an expiry date of December 31, 2011– (APV $4.75) – Approximate odds 1:21

• 5 – “Ristorante for a Year” prize pack – which includes 52 free Dr. Oetker prize packs and 24 bottles of custom labeled wine. Winner must be of legal drinking age in jurisdiction of residence or winner will be substituted with a prize of equal value. (APV $700) – Approximate odds 1:430,400

• 3 – Tours for two at a local winery / vineyard near the winner’s residence. No transportation is included. (APV $300) – Approximate odds 1: 717,333

Ok, now I'm all hungry for some pizza. For my Canadian friends who enter, good luck! For those of us here in the states, let's go call for some delivery. ;)

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of "Blast Off!". All opinions are 100% mine.

Allison Maslan has been a successful entrepreneur for the past 25 years and now she's written a book to tell you how she did it. In the book, she talks about her failures, her successes and what it took to help her become the woman that she is today. In Blast Off!, Allison gives you the encouragement and skills you'll need to make changes while eliminating any roadblocks or obstructions. Blast Off! also gives you step-by-step strategies to achieve your ultimate life visions. Now, who wouldn't love to reach those goals?

This book just hit the shelves about two days ago on January 19, 2010, so I haven't had a chance to get my hands on a copy yet, but I'm thinking that I might like to. As I've posted here recently, I want to make some changes in my life (and in this blog) and I think that $24 is a low investment for something that might be able to help me to do just that. Since this book is available on Amazon, Borders and the Barnes and Noble websites, it certainly shouldn't be hard to find. Now all I have to do is find $24. I've been cleaning hard this week but so far only found about 25 cents. Who knows, maybe I'll find a forgotten birthday card with some extra cash tucked inside!

I'd love to hear if any of you have read this book. Go check it out for yourself and let me know what you think! I just discovered that it's only $16.47 on Amazon, which is an even better deal.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Back when I was pregnant with the boys (ages and ages ago!), I remember hearing that there were certain foods that you shouldn't eat because they could actually harm the baby. Seafood was pretty high on that list because of the possibility of mercury poisoning. My doctors did tell me, though, that I could eat canned tuna fish (mostly because I was seriously craving it in my mac n cheese!) as long as I only did it in moderation.

A study released in July's issue of Epidemiology (a summary can be found at healthy tuna) is now suggesting that not eating seafood during pregnancy could actually be a bad thing. It suggests that not eating seafood could be related to higher levels of depression. This is because foods like fish are the only naturally rich source of a special omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. DHA is essential for the proper functioning of our brains as adults, and for the development of our nervous system and visual abilities during the first 6 months of life.

Luckily for me, I didn't suffer from depression while I was pregnant with the boys. It could be because I had that tuna in my mac 'n cheese! Now, if tuna could only have saved my poor couch from the permanent tush indent it received from me being on bedrest!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about any of you, but the boys and I love Jones Soda. It's an adventure when we go to the store to see what the newest round of labels look like. We love that they're always changing, that the soda is still in glass bottles and that it tastes super delicious!

Now, imagine my delight when I discovered myJones custom soda. You can go to the Jones Soda website and actually design your own labels! Wouldn't that make the most incredible gift? I would seriously love to receive a 12 pack with say these guys on the label:



I could totally see it being the Strawberry Lime flavor (because monkies clearly love the wackier flavors) and being called something like Monkey Madness. It's too late to do this for Christmas this year, but trust me, I'm bookmarking this under my gift ideas section for next year. Maybe I could surprise my ex-husband and his fiancee with a 12 pack with their wedding photo on it for their first anniversary, next year. The options are only as limited as your imagination and with the price being only $29.99 for a 12 pack, that's much more reasonable than a lot of other customized gifts.

Go on over and check out the different options. Jones Soda is one of my favorite sodas and I have no idea why I didn't check out their website sooner. I'm going back now to see what other sorts of gear they sell and to get some ideas for some upcoming birthdays!