The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness: November 2013
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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Best Buy is a Great Holiday Shopping Destination!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.


I usually shop online when it comes to holiday gift giving but when it comes to certain items, I have to go to a bricks and mortar store to see what is available and make sure it is what I want. One of those stores is Best Buy. Best Buy has so many products to buy! A lot of those items are also priced well and are a good value for the money. I have to drive almost an hour to get to my nearest Best Buy. I happily do it because I know that is the only place where I can find the tech items I want. I also know that if I need appliances or home entertainment items, Best Buy is the authority for all my needs this holiday.

Earlier this year when I needed a new laptop, I headed to Best Buy and found one that was perfect for me. The best part was that the price was fantastic. Best Buy's Low Price Guarantee ensures I get the best and most competitive prices possible. I also know that if something goes wrong with my laptop, I can count on the Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents to help me. They are knowledgeable and well-trained.

You can find it all at Best Buy. The combination of bestbuy.com and their 1,400 stores offers you the ultimate place to do all your holiday shopping. You can find anything.

* Phones: At Best Buy you can see and try all of the phones, carriers, plans and accessories under one roof with industry-leading trade-in options

* Tablets: Best Buy is the only place in America where customers can see all of the latest and greatest tablets.

* Computing: Best Buy features the best selection, advise, services and support in computing. They help set the market by working with the industry's tech leaders to develop a highly specialized and innovative assortment of laptops, many of which are only available at Best Buy.

* Mobile Accessories: Best Buy has one of the largest selections of accessories and wearables this holiday. Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, health & fitness gear and headphones will truly rule holiday.

* Home Theater: Best Buy offers the world's newest technology, best assortment and service in home theater.

* Appliances: Best Buy is better positioned than ever to bring the latest small appliances and special deals to you.

* Gaming: Best Buy is THE destination for gaming this holiday. Not only do they have the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles, but the hottest game releases and everything else you need for a great gaming experience.

* Music/Movies/Musical Instruments: Best Buy offers terrific deals on the best entertainment stocking stuffers.

* Digital Imaging: Best Buy features the newest selection of cameras, accessories and advise so you can find the perfect gift or capture your own holiday memories.

* Tech Services: Best Buy is home of the Geek Squad for help installing, repairing, troubleshooting, optimizing and offering all sorts of technical advice from every Best Buy store, in-home, online and by phone

Now you can save even more. Best Buy has some great coupons that will help you spend less on your holiday shopping:

* You can get 15% off Health & Fitness, Fisher Price and Mattel Toys
* You can get 10% off Headphones & Portable Speakers (excludes beats, bose and Sony)

Now you can find great gifts for your kids like the Digital Barbie Makeover Kit,or the Fisher Price Little People Appitivity Barnyard. Get the Misfit Shine (I have one and love it) or some headphones or speakers for those on your gift list! With these coupons and with the regular low prices, you will get a great deal! You can find more gift ideas at the Best Buy Gift Center.

At Best Buy not only do you get a huge selection of great gifts but you get the Best Buy Low price guarantee. You can also opt to get Free store pick up. Buy gifts or give gift cards. There is no better place to find gift for the anyone on your list. I know I will be  heading there to get some holiday gifts and so should you.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Wild Planet Foods Review & Giveaway!


I am always looking for new products to review on my blog. It is all the better if they are food products. Even better, food products that are good for me and the planet.

When I was asked to review some Wild Planet foods, I was intrigued. I had never heard of these products but I became interested because Wild Planet's harvesting practices are 100% compliant with the Best Choices for Sustainability offered by a number of environmental groups. I like that because I believe that sustainable harvesting is very important.


Wild Planet Albacore is pure tuna with no water or oil to drain. It contains an average of  3,350mg Omega 3 per can. Wild Planet’s once-cooked tuna is vastly superior in nutritional potency compared to other tuna. Its high level of Omega 3 is attainable because Wild Planet packs raw tuna steaks into the can than cooks the tuna in the can. This causes the albacore’s nutritious natural juices to stay in the tuna. It is also lower in mercury due to the smaller, individually-caught tuna sourced by the company.


Wild Planet's uses pole and troll fishing. These methods prevent catching other sea life like sea turtles, sharks, dolphins etc. This is important because I have heard about how fishing for tuna can harm other fish and destroy ocean habitats. It is always a more appealing product if the company is making an effort to  making a difference and being friendly to the environment.

Wild Plant tuna is also packed in BPA free cans, which has become more important to me.  It is also OU Kosher certified. Plus, it is delicious. I don't eat a lot of tuna but I do get cravings for it once it a while. I won't eat fresh tuna but will eat canned tuna. Yes, I am weird. Anyhow, I really liked the Wild Planet tuna. It tasted fresher than other canned tuna that I have eaten. I really enjoyed it! I would definitely recommend it.


If you want to try Wild Planet tuna, you can find it in selected stores like Whole Foods, Gelsons, Earth Fare, Giant Eagle and many others. You can also order the products online on the Wild Planet website.  There are a lot of great products available!


I have a wonderful prize pack that not only has a cool lunch cooler but a selection of Wild Planet items like tuna, sardines and salmon. If you enjoy seafood, you will enjoy this prize! To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules: One entry per person per day. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.

Disclosure: I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. Sponsors are responsible for shipping prizes unless otherwise stated. I am not responsible if sponsors do not fulfill prize. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of any prizes.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!!


Like FROZEN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen
Tweet the official hashtag: #DisneyFrozen
Visit the website: http://www.disney.com/frozen  

Disney's Maleficent


Oh I am excited about this movie! Most people love the Disney princesses but me, I go for the villains. Disney does good villains and villainesses. While people love Snow White, I love the Evil Queen. Sure the dalmatians are adorbs but I love Cruella. Alice, the poor girl, is lost in wonderland but give me the Red Queen any day! Sure, Ariel is nice and sweet but I adore Ursula. But my favorite is Maleficent. She is a wonderfully delicious villainess. And now Disney has given my adored Maleficent her own movie. And she is played by Angelina Jolie. Perfect casting!

The movie opens next May! That is a long time away but it looks great. Here is the trailer for the movie! It looks like it will be good fun. Well, for us villain lovers!

From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

Like MALEFICENT on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyMaleficent

Follow Disney on Twitter: @DisneyPictures




Official website: disney.com/Maleficent 

MALEFICENT releases in theaters everywhere on May 30, 2014!  

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Stonefire® Authentic Flatbreads Review and Giveaway!



Around this time of the year, I start making comfort foods. I want hearty meals that warm me up. I start making stews and chili and casseroles. But comfort foods can take all day to make so I also add some quick and easy meals to my menus because with working and blogging, I don;t have the time to make all day meals.

I recently had the opportunity to try Stonefire® Authentic Flatbreads. Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads is a family-owned bakery with over 40 years of experience and a simple mission: To make one of a kind, authentic flatbreads. Founded by the Ajmera family, Stonefire®Authentic Flatbreads bake authentic naan, pita and pizza crust using traditional baking methods and the finest ingredients with no artificial preservatives.

I received a huge pack of their products that included pizza crust, naan bread, flatbreads and pita bread. Yummo! They came fresh and because there are no artificial ingredients you have to use them right away, put them in the fridge or freeze them. I love that I can freeze the products! So I can use them at a later date.

I tried a few of the products and have to say that I am impressed. I have never used these before. But the other day I made a pork, garbanzo and potato curry stew and served it with the fresh Naan bread brushed with olive oil and it was delicious! The bread tasted fresh and was easy to heat up and serve.


I also tried the pizza crust and flatbread for our pizza night. I used the pizza crust along with the suace that comes with it and added cheese and sausage. I used the flatbread to make a veggie pizza with roasted eggplant and roasted tomatoes. I added cheese and no sauce. Both were delicous. The crust was thin like we like it. It crisped up nicely in the oven and tasted fresh and wonderful.



I have the rest of the Naan bread in the freezer so I can use it when I make my curry dishes. I need to buy more flatbread and pizza crust because I am too lazy to make my own and the other store bought crust I have used is not as good as this.


I would totally recommend Stonefire products. I will definitely buy these again. You can find Stonefire at your local grocery store. I have a prize pack similar to mine for one lucky reader. All you have to do is enter on the Rafflecopter widget below! YAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules: One entry per person per day. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.

Disclosure: I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. Sponsors are responsible for shipping prizes unless otherwise stated. I am not responsible if sponsors do not fulfill prize. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of any prizes.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Get ready for the Holidays with Rembrandt Products + Giveaway!! 2 Winners!!



Just in time for the holidays, I have another Rembrandt giveaway for my readers. I know you guys love these! So here we go!  I am all about oral hygiene. It started when I was very young. I got this obsession from my parents because they always took us to the dentist when we were little. Because of that, now at almost 50 years old, I have pretty good teeth.

But the one thing good oral hygiene doesn't do for me is whiten my teeth. I have noticed as I get older that my teeth are not as white and pretty as they used to be. So I take measures to ensure they look good by using Rembrandt. I started noticing that in pictures my teeth were not looking great.


I have used REMBRANDT for a year or so now. I notice a difference in the color of my teeth every time I use the product. The top picture is about a year ago and the bottom picture is recent. A lot of the yellow is gone and this is because I use the toothpaste! There is a noticeable difference and I like that!

The toothpaste is my preferred method. I have not used the REMBRANDT® DEEPLY WHITE® 2 Hour Whitening Kit. I really need to see if this product can whiten my teeth just a little more than the toothpaste. I also want to know that if it really does work in 2 hours. But my teeth are getting white with the toothpaste I really haven't had to use it. I also want to try the dissolving strips because these look like they would be the most convenient to use.

Rembrandt is the leader in teeth whitening since 1987 and has products that will help you in getting your teeth whiter. Those products include whitening kits, toothpastes, or mouthwashes. These are products that I have used for a while and recommend.


If you want to get your mouth ready for the holidays then you might want to consider trying Rembrandt products. I have a prize pack like the one I received for two lucky winners. If you want to win, just enter on the Rafflecopter widget below!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules: One entry per person per day. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.

Disclosure: I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. Sponsors are responsible for shipping prizes unless otherwise stated. I am not responsible if sponsors do not fulfill prize. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of any prizes.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Hot Wheels Race Rewards Giveaway!

When I was little, I used to get a lot of Barbie dolls, plush toys and girly items. My god brother used to get the cool stuff like Hot Wheels. I was always jealous. I was also always trying to take away his toys because I wanted the fun stuff. After complaining to Santa in endless letters, I finally got a few Hot Wheels racers. I was in heaven.

If you have kids that love Hot Wheels, then you should check out the new Hot Wheels Race Rewards. It is a great program that allows you to get rewards when you buy Hot Wheels. The way the program works is that you can take a picture of the product you buy with your phone and upload it. You then get rewards! You can cash those reward points in for other hot wheels products and Walmart gift cards. That sounds fantastic! If you buy a lot of Hot Wheels, then you will earn a lot of rewards!



To celebrate the new Hot Wheels Race Rewards, this group giveaway has a great prize for one lucky reader!!  the prize includes three fun Hot Wheels sets: Triple Track, Car Maker, Wall Tracks and Roto Motion. You know the drill my lovelies, just enter on the Rafflecopter widget below. GOOD LUCK!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cardstore makes your Holidays easier! #MC #TopoftheMantel

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. I received complimentary cards and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.



The holidays are crazy around my house. It's a time where we have to start thinking about decorating, hosting parties and, possibly, traveling to see the family. Around this time, I start making lists and always on my list is sending out Holiday Cards. I always debate about not sending out cards because it is a pain to address, write and mail them out. But, in the end, it always seems that I decide to send them out.

When I finally decide I am sending out cards, I always end up buying cards online because, frankly, it makes my life easier. Plus, if I order them online, I can personalize them by adding photos and putting my own text. Easy peasy! One of the stores I have discovered is Cardstore.

Cardstore is an innovative online store that makes my holidays a lot easier. At Cardstore, I can personalize my cards, create my own custom cards and then Cardstore will mail them out for me! Cardstore will print, stamp and send the cards for you. That is perfect because I am too busy and too lazy to do all that work. And with a Holiday card list of over 200, it really helps!

You really need to go check out Cardstore and make your own card. I went on and created a beautiful Year of happiness card to send out. Since this year was a year of travel for us, I tried to include all the places we visited. For us, that included France, England, Spain, Atlanta, Charlotte. For me, that included Disney, New York and Costa Rica. And, Tom went to China! I also added a nod to our kitty Scout who died this year and a picture of our house. It is personal and beautiful. And you to can make a beautiful card like this by visiting Cardstore.


I absolutely adore this card. It really captures our life. Those who really know us will appreciate the design because they know this is really us. I wish I had more spaces because I had more photos to add!! Although, I think this card is just perfect! The Cardstore interface is so easy to use that anyone can do it! Plus, ordering was easy as well!

I recommend Cardstore for your holiday card needs! Go to the site and see if it makes your life easier. I also have a giveaway for one lucky reader, I have a gift code for 50 free cards from Cardstore. This will help you make your own holiday cards or maybe you could use it for birthdays, moving, announcements, invites or any other occasion!

To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules: One entry per person per day. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and the winner will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older.

Disclosure: I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product. Sponsors are responsible for shipping prizes unless otherwise stated. I am not responsible if sponsors do not fulfill prize. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of any prizes.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Verizon ISIS Wallet #VZWLife

Disclosure: As a member of the #VZWLife team, I received compensation for this post.


If you haven't heard about the Verizon ISIS Wallet, then you need to go check it out. The ISIS is the new revolution in smartphone technology. What is the ISIS and what does it do? Well, let me tell you.

Basically the ISIS works on your smartphone. It is Tap to Pay. Download the app and head over to any ISIS Ready Merchant. You can find merchants at this site. The ISIS Mobile Wallet holds virtual versions of your credit cards from participating providers. The Wallet organizes your payment cards, offers and loyalty cards in one convenient app on your Isis Ready phone.

Isis works using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology. Dozens of phones are now NFC compatible. Your offers, deals and promotions are also stored in the Wallet, so you always have them with you, organized and ready to use.

Simplify loyalty cards. You can also add your loyalty cards from participating merchants. You know, the ones crowding your keychain and weighing down your wallet.

You don't have to worry about security because the ISIS is pin protected. Your wallets accessed can only be opened by entering a unique 4 digit PIN that you set. you can also use Remote wallet locking. If your device is lost, you can visit My Verizon to remotely suspend your wallet. Plus, there is Personal privacy because Isis values your privacy. What you buy is between you and the merchants you patronize.

Watch this video for more information on how ISIS works.



Now shopping is easier! This is especially great since it is holiday season! Check out ISIS Mobile Wallet today.

Holiday Gift Idea! Staples organizes you with the ARC Customizable Notebook System


I am a fiend when it comes to organizing my life. With blogging and my freelance consultant work, I need to keep things as simple as possible. I also need to be able to have my tasks and information separate yet together.

Now you can do that with the M by Staples® Arc customizable notebook system. Its ultra-flexible design allows you to add, remove and rearrange your favorite pages and accessories again and again. First you buy the notebook. Then you can add your choice of pages. Pages include to do lists, planner pages, ruled sheets and graph sheets.


Then you can add colored dividers to help organize your sheets. There are cool accessories like rulers, business card holder pages, page flags and pockets. You can add all these simply because the notebook uses a system where you can slip the paper sheets into the notebook with no holes. It is simply and works.


The Notebook comes with leather covers or poly vinyl covers. They also come with several changeable covers so you can make it your own. I loved my notebook. I wish I would have received more of the accessories to add to the system. It has helped me organize my life.

If you have an organizational nut on your holiday list, then you should check out the M by Staples ARC collection. I think they would love it! I know if I received a box full of these goodies, I would be happy!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Time to start decorating for Christmas!



I started thinking the other day that I might have to decorate for Christmas this year. It is rare that we decorate anymore because we like to take our vacations around Christmas time so it does not make sense to do so. We also stopped decorating the past few years because Scout used to love chewing on the tree and it was bad for her.

With Scout gone and us being here for Christmas this year, it might be time to try and dig through the garage an pull out our decorations. I found some old decorations in the house. We had a few tree ornaments and the tree skirt. I also found some Christmas lights in the closet but they don't seem to work. I think I might need to go buy new ones at christmaslightsetc.com.

I tried to fix the Christmas lights but they are goners. I think we have had them for over 10 years and we haven;t used them in two years. I think it might be time for some new ones. I also need a new tree skirt. What I do not need is ornaments.

I have so many that I think the ones we have will fill the tree nicely. But I have been eyeing some new ones although I cam sure Tom will say no to me buying more ornaments. But I saw these darling minion ornaments that I want. You know I am all about minions!

A few years this is what our tree looked like. This year, I am looking for new ideas. I want a tree with a theme instead of a willy-nilly tree like we have had. I headed over to the Better Homes and Garden website and found some cute ideas. There are so many that I am not sure what I will do.

I think we also need new stockings but our old ones will be okay for another year. I don't want to get to crazy because, frankly, I would rather spend money on my Christmas and New Year's menus than on decorating.

I will have to continue finding inspiration on websites and Pinterest and see what I come up with. It's still early. But the other day I was at the store and decorations are up and that inspired me. Let me know how you are decorating this year! I need ideas!

LancĂ´me DreamTone #bareselfie #dreamtone


Disclosure: I received complimentary product from SheSpeaks/LancĂ´me.

As I get older, I decided I needed to start using products to help my skin look and feel as if was still young. Next year, I hit 50 and I am worried that if I do not start taking care of my skin now, it will be downhill from there.

I recently had the opportunity to try LancĂ´me DreamTone, a serum specially formulated to reduce the appearance of dark spots, uneven skin tone and color imperfections.
About LancĂ´me DreamTone: DreamTone is the next generation in dark spot correction. This customized skin tone correcting serum is so powerful, 72% of women dare to bare their skin.* The new DreamTone is 3 barely-tinted serums formulated to visibly correct dark spots, color imperfections and give you a more even-looking skin tone. It comes in 3 serums customized for your skin tone: 1- Fair, 2 – Medium, 3 – Dark.
I have had issues with a little discoloration on my cheeks from the sun and, I think, age. After using Lancome DreamTone, I noticed a little bit of a difference on my cheeks. My skin looked a little more even than usual. My skin felt smooth and more moisturized. I really liked it.

I have always had good skin but this made it just a little better. And here is my Bare Selfie to prove how good my skin looks for almost 50.




You can buy LancĂ´me DreamTone retails for $98 for a 1.3 fl oz. bottle and is available for purchase at LancĂ´me.com and department stores nationwide.

Follow Lancome!
LancĂ´me on Twitter: @LancomeUSA
LancĂ´me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LancĂ´meUS
DreamTone website: http://www.LancĂ´me-usa.com/dreamtone 

Friday, November 22, 2013

Buy the Shine Elegant Wearable Tracker at Best Buy!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I have been trying to get healthier and started exercising once again. Besides the treadmill, I also do low impact walking. I have been trying to track my fitness levels but never could. But now I can with the new Shine Wearable Tracker by Misfit.


Shine is an elegant activity monitor that you can wear anywhere. Shine was designed to inspire people to become more active, and encourage people to set goals for how much they want to move in a day and complete them. What I love about the Shine is that you can wear it on the band it comes with like a watch, on a necklace or clasp it on your clothes like a brooch. It is not only practical but fashionable. I love that even if I am dressed up for a night out, I can keep track of my activity.




Shine is available at Best Buy and comes in Silver, Black, Champagne and Topaz. The Shine tracks your steps, biking, walking, running and other activities. It tracks your sleep, calories and has a clock. You can tap the Shine and it tells you how much activity you have done. Shine is also waterproof so you can go swimming and it will track your activity! The Shine runs on a cell batter and will last about 4 months. You can get the app on your iPhone and if you have an Android phone, the app is coming. I can't wait for the Android app because that is when I will be using mine! When you download the app, you can sync your Shine by just placing it on your phone! So easy!


Best Buy & Shine will help you get control of your fitness goals while looking fashionable. If you want to track your activity the Misfit Shine is a tool you need. It is perfect for a holiday gift as well. There are probably a few people on your gift list that could use one of these!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

FROZEN movie coloring sheets! Frozen opens November 27th!


In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. 

Remember to check out Frozen next week!! It opens on the 27th and looks like it is going to be a good movie! Thanks to Disney, I have some cool coloring and  activity sheets you can print out and give to your kids. Just click on the image and then print!

















“Like FROZEN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen

Follow FROZEN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation

Visit the official websitehttp://www.disney.com/frozen  

FROZEN opens in theatres everywhere on November 27th!