The Divatude Challenge Logo Quandary

Lately I've begun streamlining my different roles and realigning what gets and does not get my attention. I'm learning to ***gasp*** delegate and truly let go of tasks and assignments for the major projects I have on my to-do list for this year.

There are some things that I have to have a hand in - even when I have no idea what I'm truly getting into.  Sometimes it's just me being anal, sometimes it's me wanting to try out something new, and sometimes it's me just needing someone to tell me to take a chill pill!

The Divatude Challenge 2013 kicks off soon and I wanted a snazzy logo for it. Typically I use online photo editing sites and free images to put something together, but what I had in mind was something more official and professional-looking.

Thanks to an online logo creator, I was able to easily put together exactly what I was envisioning! When I work with someone else, I feel as though I'm being nit-picky when I send something back numerous times for minor changes.  Using this free website, I'm able to get as nit-picky as I want with myself! Now, the difficult part...choosing which one I want to use....

Image 1 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

Image 2 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

 I was able to create a free account with Online Logo Maker where I can save and download my creations.  This is a great tool for business owners of all walks and sizes. Extra perk - it's easy to maneuver - even if you're not very artistic like this diva...especially if you feel you're not very artistic like this diva :)

I would love your input on the two logos - comment with your favorite (Image 1 or Image 2) and the winning logo will be revealed this Sunday when I introduce you all to the first participant in The Divatude Challenge 2013!

 ~Disclaimer~ This is a sponsored post brought to you by my affiliation with Moms With Voices Media.  All opinions are thoughts are solely mine. Read my full disclosure here~

Viva Vita Cioccolato!

I'm a huge fan of accessories that organize! I love stylish, quality and affordable wristlets, wallets, purses, and planners.  Stylish, quality and affordable is typically an all-or-nothing deal in my world so I love when I'm able to find a product that fits all three. I'm far from a label-diva for most products so I'm very open to trying new companies.  Sometimes I'm satisfied, sometimes I'm disappointed and sometimes I'm wowed.  "Wowed" was the case with BellaVita USA!Right after the holidays, I came home to this beautifully packaged box:

Did I, also, mention that I'm a sucker for a pretty box? My husband and kids got a little impatient with me because I spent more time ogling over the packaging before opening it.

Love's Memory - Review and Interview

Hi Divas! Love's Memory by Shannon Peterson debuted today. It’s an inspirational novel about a woman who has an accident that causes her to lose her memory and forget her family.

I've only communicated with Shannon via email, but her kind and warm spirit were evident from our first communication. Many thanks to her for taking the time to answer a few questions for the DWP Community! Her take on embracing DIVATUDE really inspired me!

When you hear the word DIVATUDE what immediately comes to mind?

When I hear the word Divatude the word that immediately comes to mind is confidence--Phil 1:6 Being assured of this very thing, that He which began this good work in you will bring it to pass. Because He has confidence in us--He knows what He's put in us, He knows what we are capable of--we can have confidence in ourselves. We can walk with our heads held high.We can have a bounce in our step and a smile on our face. We can approach any situation with poise and assurance. He's with us! We are daughters of the King! 

How do you embrace DIVATUDE in your daily walk?

I'm a believer in Job 22:28. "Decree a thing and it shall come to pass."  I've learned that if I want every day to count, if I want any  joy, peace, contentment, strength, etc in my life- this is the way to get it. The enemy stalks around like a roaring lion---and sometimes all we can hear are his roars! "you've failed again" "you're not smart enough" "you can't do that" "no one likes you" etc....But one word from God's mouth and he shuts up. I wake up in the morning and immediately start decreeing "I'm blessed!"  "I'm smart!" "I'm loved!" etc it's a great way to begin your day!

What inspires your DIVATUDE? 

I listen to great preachers and teachers regularly. I have a great prayer time with the Lord daily. I walk through my house praising Him, thanking Him, talking to Him. And I also try to be still and listen and let Him speak to me. He loves to do that. He has wonderful things to say to us if we give Him the chance. I have people in my life that I regularly share with and pray with. I'm also trying to get in the habit of reaching out to people in servitude. Serving increases joy and I can never get enough joy in my life! lol

 
To celebrate the launch of Love's Memory, we're all invited to a VIRTUAL PARTY at Shannon's website! Love's Memory has been called "soul-stirring"; "an inspiring story"; "compelling, enthralling"; "wonderfully suspenseful" and "a true page turner".

Head over to the party and see all the free party favors, prizes, and tips from wonderful writers all joining efforts to support the launch of Love's Memory!

See you there, Divas! 

Book Review ~ Use What You Know: A Business Idea Guide for Moms

I was very excited to review the e-book Use What You Know: A Business Idea Guide for Moms by Joyce Brewer for various reasons:

~one of my long-term goals is to work for myself
~I currently have business ideas in mind and any help with implementing them is appreciated
~ I believe in using the knowledge and practices of those that are where I’d like to be to get to learn how to get there myself

The book gives you information and insight on using the skills and knowledge you currently have and making them work and be profitable for you. I appreciated that it included interviews and insight from women who’d gone from working for others to being their own boss.  The resounding theme among them all was wanting to spend more time at home with their families and being in control of their work schedules.  I liked the acknowledgement that just because you work from home you’re not working less or easier.

Spills, Spills and More Spills..the Holidays are Here!

It's inevitable in my household. No matter how often I tell my children to keep their food and drinks in the kitchen or to take their shoes off before coming in from the backyard - something gets spilled somewhere on a very regular basis.  My niece and nephew have been spending the week with us and in the last 48 hours alone there have been at least 5 messes involving grape juice, gum, mud pies, eye shadow and brown gravy.  I'm sure I'll find a few more once everyone clears out of here.

 
While searching the web for some simple and inexpensive remedies to help spruce up my carpets and couches I came across a very informative site.  I love that many companies are now adding useful information to their sites to help consumers like me that want to be informed and, possibly, correct easy problems myself.  


GreenChoice Carpet Cleaning's site does just that. They have a blog dedicated to different upholstery-related issues.  As a consumer, that shows that they are interested in empowering their customers with information and not just coming in to clean up messes and make a quick buck.  So, if any of my in-need-of upholstery cleaning VA readers want to check out this company - it appears to be one that puts an emphasis on customer service and retention.

Would love to hear your thoughts...

Are you more inclined to use and recommend a company that provides
useful information to their consumers to fix small problems themselves?

My @SodaStreamUSA Get Together

I have a pretty awesome group of friends! We support one another, motivate one another, and are just great to be around.

Earlier this month we got together for our Family Holiday Get-Together and we had a chance to try out a SodaStream courtesy of House Party's SodaStream Fizz the Season 2. As a hostess I received a FREE SodaStream to try out and use at our party.

Photo Courtesy of House Party

It was pretty easy to put together and my oldest son designated himself the "official taste tester" of the evening. Overall, the kids loved it and many had already been asking their parents for one.

 

He gave it 2 thumbs up and enjoyed coming up with drink combinations throughout the night.  The kids loved that they could make their drinks as "fizzy" as they wanted with the 3 different levels of carbonation.  As a budget savvy parent, I'm going to enjoy the overall savings. The average cost of a "can" of soda using SodaStream is a quarter! Best in my book is that we're just making what we're going to use.  I don't know about your household, but if there's soda in our fridge - it's going to get guzzled...very, very, very quickly. We've had fun making fizzy drinks with healthy juice alternatives.

Overall, SodaStream is a hit in our house.  Flavor-wise, everyone is good with the taste when compared to some of the name-brand equivalents. It's compact and easy to store - another plus because space is definitely limited in my kitchen.

~~ Happy Holidays Divas!

Take time to enjoy your loved ones and remember the true reason for this season!~~

 ~Disclaimer~ I received a free SodaStream as a member of House Party.  All opinions are thoughts are solely mine and no other compensation was received. Read my full disclosure here~

netTALK DUO Review

Earlier this month I got this fun package delivered to me. We cut the cord on having a home phone over 2 years ago, but I have been contemplating getting a line installed as a back-up to our cell phones.  Also, it's great to have when we have a sitter on those rare date nights so we're not relying on their cell phone.

The netTALK DUO is an affordable alternative, in my opinion.  If you already have Internet at home, then this can be a great addition.  Currently the WiFi version is only $64.95 plus tax and includes 1 year of service - that's only $5.41 a month for the first year.  Each additional year is $29.95 plus tax which breaks down to approximately $2.50 a month!

My favorite features:
~Local and long distance calls in the US and Canada are included
~Call waiting, forwarding and Caller ID
~Visual voicemail using their online management system
~3 way and conference calling
~Portable - use anywhere you can get an Internet connection!
~The affordability

My husband used something similar when he was in the military and would deploy often.  He was able to keep a steady phone number and plug into an Internet connection no matter where he was in the world.  This plan is much more affordable then what we used 5-7 years ago.

Not-So-Pros:
~ Set-up took a little longer than anticipated. It could have been my Internet connection but I did have to reboot my connection a few times.
~If your Internet connection is having issues, then your call quality will not be the best.

Gift of Communication Freedom Promotion
(Available with devices purchased by 12/25/12 and registered by 12/31/12)
Free $10 International Credit with the purchase of ANY DUO Device
Restrictions
Credit to be applied at time of registration and each device MUST be registered by December 31, 2012
Please be advised: This applies for online and at retail locations- across the board.  ALL retail channels!
(This offer would not apply for Costco Canada)
 

Giveaway coming Soon :0)

Stay tuned Divas.... 

 ~Disclaimer~ I received a free netTALK DUO as a member of Moms With Voices Media.  All opinions are thoughts are solely mine and no other compensation was received. Read my full disclosure here~

The Fear of Things to Come Book Tour Review & Giveaway

 

The DSM. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A voluminous, invaluable tool used by psychotherapists the world over to diagnose individuals with mental illness. Referenced by Samantha Clark countless times throughout her career, never suspecting that one day it would save her life.



Samantha receives a seemingly innocent but anonymous letter, and overnight her world changes forever. She becomes a victim in a frightening game of cat-and-mouse, a nightmare that begins when her boyfriend, Todd, fails to return to the wellness retreat they own in the woods of Florida. Working closely with police, Samantha and two trusted friends discover that Todd’s disappearance is linked to a series of murders occurring in a nearby county. They soon find themselves prey to a mentally ill patient from Samantha’s past, bent on revenge. With time bearing down, they must weave together the clues found in a succession of ominous letters and the DSM to save Todd. Their mission to unravel the mystery behind the kidnapping plunges them into a terrifying maze of danger, deception, and madness.

Author on Facebook        Author's Website        Author on Twitter

About the Author

Author Kathryne Arnold

Kathryne holds a master's degree in counseling psychology and is a licensed mental health therapist and certified clinical hypnotherapist. Her extensive knowledge of the human experience, garnered from more than two decades in the mental health and social services fields, is reflected in The Fear of Things to Come, her second novel.

My Review from Goodreads.Com
The Fear of Things to Come by Kathryne Arnold

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It was "uncomfortable" to read at times because I was anticipating what could/should happen. Any book based on the DSM combined with a mentally unbalanced psychopathic sociopath (I'm sure that's pretty redundant...LOL) will keep you on your toes. I'll warn you - this book can be pretty graphic with some of the violence but it's not overboard. The descriptions and scenarios seem to fit the storyline based on the characters. Admittedly, some of the characters irritated me and I found myself wanting to shake them. Overall this was a good read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

SIGNED BOOK GIVEAWAY

This great giveaway is brought to you by

author Kathryne Arnold and Beck Valley Books 

3 Lucky Winners will each receive a Signed Book from the author.

Open US/CA

Ending on Sunday 16th December 2012 at 11.59pm est

Enter below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

#FreshmatesClean Review

I'm a big fan of Charmin products - they're affordable and I can often combine coupon savings and sales to stock up on paper products for my family.

When my 4 year old began potty-training a couple of years ago, I was introduced to Freshmates by a co-worker... love love love them! Let's be honest - kids don't always get themselves the cleanest. I use Freshmates for my youngest and it seems easier for him to clean up with less mess and less paper. That's a win for my laundry and my pipes!

They are flushable, septic safe, and free of drying alcohols. Best when used after your favorite Charmin toilet paper.

"Charmin^® Freshmates^® are made with just the right amount of moisture so when used with dry toilet paper, the flushable wet wipes give a cleaner clean than dry bath tissue alone. Because you wouldn't bathe with just a dry towel and expect to get clean."

Right now you can enter the Freshmates DIY Bathroom Makeover Sweepstakes for a chance to win $5000 Visa Gift card towards a home bathroom makeover and a $1000 Visa gift card towards a consultation with an interior designer when you upload a photo of where you'd put Charmin Freshmates in your bathroom! There will, also, be 42 daily prize winners of a free 40 count tub of Charmin Freshmates!

Here's a copy of my entry...I "prettied" it up a bit so it wouldn't be too drab but you can't have any people or logos on the pictures that you submit.

 

 ~Disclaimer~ I received a free sample of Charmin Freshmates from Vocalpoint.com. I was not required to write this review or share their information. All opinions are thoughts are solely mine and no other compensation was received. Read my full disclosure here~

FRESHMATES DIY BATHROOM MAKEOVER SWEEPSTAKES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are Vocalpoint members and are 18 or older as of the last day of the month prior to the date of entry. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by 11:59:59 PM (ET) on 12/31/12 to be eligible for the final Daily Prize Drawing and the Grand Prize drawing. See Official Rules for details. Sponsor: The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC.

#DecorateItForward with K-Mart

Happy December! Today my kiddos and I officially kicked off our holiday decorating season.

One tradition I started when my oldest son was about 3 or 4 years old is our annual trek to choose an ornament for our tree.  Each year it's interesting to see which type of ornament my kiddos choose. They usually end up picking ornaments for one another because it's so difficult for them to narrow down their choices to just one.

The 4 of us headed out to our local K-Mart. I must admit that it's been awhile since I've shopped in K-Mart, but as soon as I got to their holiday section I remembered that I've always loved their selection of ornaments and holiday apparel. With the affordable prices and wide variety of prices - it's hard not to get into the holiday decorating spirit! The boys were wary of my purple choices and I am determined to get a smaller version of this tree as a Diva Tree one year:

My oldest son was disappointed that we couldn't find the St. Jude Holiday Bear Collectible Ornament. I went online and it looks like it's sold out there, too.  K-Mart has partnered with St. Jude Hospital to offer this adorable ornament for only $5. K-Mart will donate $1 from every bear sold back to St. Jude. Decorations with a purpose - Love it!!!

 

Since the bear was not an option, now came the hardest part - choosing which ornament would be "the" ornament for each of them this year.  Believe me when I say this is an excursion that takes tons of patience and negotiating skills! Some of our choices were:

 

 

They even contemplated combining their funds and getting this for our front entrance:

In the end, they chose these ornaments. It was great watching my boys work together to make a decision and then choose ornaments that rightly fit my feelings towards them:

 This year K-Mart is encouraging everyone to join in the  "Decorate it Forward" Movement by sharing holiday cheer with the gift of decorating and entertaining with family, friends and those in need. Connect with them on Twitter at (@kmart and by using the #DecorateItForward hashtag. You can even create a virtual ornament to share with your family and friends:

 

While you're at K-Mart, don't forget to join the Shop Your Way Rewards Program to earn points to redeem for discounts.

Congratulations to the winner of the $15 K-Mart Gift Card - Cindy B!

~Disclaimer:  I received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 and the post may contain affiliate links.
Read my full disclosure statement here~

Eyeglasses: My Love/Hate Story

Glasses have been a part of my life since forever, it seems. I got my first pair in 1st grade and the rest, as they, is history.  Glasses and I have had a love/hate relationship over the years. I hated wearing them because they loved to get thicker by the year.  This was during a time when the option to have lenses thinned down was not an option. Over the years, as I've gotten more self-confidence I can chuckle at some of the frames I went through - mainly because I've gotten rid of almost all the pictures that were floating around.

As soon as I turned 16 and received my first paycheck, I made a beeline to get contacts and wore them religiously for almost 15 years. About 4 years ago, I got a dreaded eye infection and developed an allergy which made wearing contacts unbearable.  As soon as I looked at the walls of glasses that I could barely see without my coveted contacts, I wanted to cry (seriously, I believe I teared up, but I'm going to blame it on the glaucoma test I'd just gotten).  I've been wearing prescription glasses religiously ever since.  My biggest struggle is finding a pair that look stylish but that can, also, handle my lenses. Yes, even shaved or thinned down they have weight to them.  Wire and rimless frames are definitely out.

Enter GlassesUSA.com - a site recently brought to my attention.  Affordable glasses AND stylish frames that I can peruse from the comfort of my own home. I enjoyed "trying on" frames with their Virtual Mirror Feature.

For me, choosing the right pair of affordable glasses frames is critical since I already know my lenses are going to set me back a pretty penny (yes, my vision is THAT bad).  Having the chance to browse the different pair of glasses without feeling pressured to make a choice immediately in a traditional store helps tremendously - also, I can actually "see" what I look like with the different frames.

GlassesUSA.com is offering Divas With A Purpose readers discounts on your next pair of eyeglasses:

• Take 15% and get free shipping on your entire order over $50 using discount code FS15
• Take 10% off any prescription glasses order using discount code Blog10

Check them out, try the Virtual Mirror Feature and let me know what you think.  Would love to hear your love/hate stories with eyeglasses down in the comments section.


 

 ~~Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, but all experiences, scenarios and opinions are mine.You can view my full disclaimer policy here~~

#GracoSafety Babies "R" Us Event

Happy Friday, Divas :)

Earlier this week I shared with you all the great time the little diva and I had at the #GracoSafety Night Out with fellow bloggers in Charlotte. Today I'm going to share with you the fun I had that following Saturday hosting my very first event. I got the opportunity to travel to Concord, North Carolina and spend the afternoon with some great families and employees at the Babies "R" Us discussing Graco's newest product - The SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40!

  
Keeping our little one's safe is high on all parents list of priorities. The American Association of Pediatrics suggests that children be rear-facing until they are 2 years old. Graco's newest product - The SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 is the ONLY infant car seat the provides rear-facing protection for infants up until 40 pounds (the weight of an average 2 year old).

The families that I chatted with last weekend agreed that SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 was stylish and easy to use.  The top features were the adjustable base that allows the infant car seat to grow their children and the Simply Safe Adjust™ harness systems that allows harness and headrest to be adjusted with just one hand (that was my favorite feature hands down!).

During my afternoon at the #GracoSafety event, the families and I discussed key safety concerns of parents and the importance of having a car seat that could grow with our children.  My favorite part of the afternoon was having the opportunity to present two moms-to-be with their very own Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40!!! 

Overall, the families that I interacted with were very impressed with the ease of use of the SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40. One father stated it specifically addressed one of the key features he was looking for in an infant seat - lightweight and easy to transition from the car to stroller.

The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 is available exclusively at Babies "R" Us and one lucky reader had the opportunity to win a $25 Gift Certificate (giveaway has ended).
Congrats to our winner - name will be announced as soon as she confirms her prize :)

Disclaimer:

The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 – the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds. The car seat is designed for a parent on the go. The infant car seat can be easily removed from the base and used as a carrier when the infant is small, providing portability and convenience so you can easily move your infant in and out of the car without disturbing them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made the recommendation to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Graco set out to make this product so parents can keep infants rear facing longer while still keeping them comfortable.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco. The opinions and text are all mine.

Divas Night Out and #GracoSafety

Last week, Miss V and I got a much-needed girls night out! We were invited to Charlotte to learn all about Graco's newest product - The SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40.

This is the only infant car seat to provide rear-facing protection for our little ones from birth all the way up to 2 years old! I'll be honest with you divas, my youngest two were turned around way before they should have been. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends they remain rear-facing until 2 years old or 40 pounds - mine probably didn't make it to 6-9 months.  Mainly because it was difficult to find a seat they could sit in comfortably based on their height.  However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, toddlers are five times safer riding rear-facing! 

We've been using the SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 for a little over a week now and Miss V has had no issues at all. Honestly, I believe she's more comfortable and content - especially when we're making longer trips since she's in a reclining position.

Book Tour Review - Crashers by Lindy S Hudis

A modern day cautionary tale, Crashers is a true-to-life novel that uncovers how the innocent get lured into the scheme of “cappers” and “hammers.”

A riveting story of love and desperation, greed and redemption.

Crashers: A Tale of "Cappers" and "Hammers"

By Lindy S Hudis

~ Connect with the author ~

Website: http://www.crashersbook.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lindy.hudis
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lindyscribe

Synopsis

(from book's website: http://www.crashersbook.com)

A chance encounter with a stranger in whom Shari confides her troubles proves fortuitous: he tells her of a get-rich-quick scheme that will put her and her fiancé on easy street. Seduced by the chance to move from hard times to good times in no time, Sheri takes the carrot offered her, and finds herself acting as a “stuffed passenger”—the “victim” in a staged auto accident. The act goes according to plan and Shari gets her payday, but getting out and breaking free of the insurance fraud underworld will take nothing short of a miracle. 

My Review:

I'm still trying to determine exactly how I feel about some of the main characters. You don't really want to like them or relate to their actions (insurance fraud, endangering the lives of others, preying on the vulnerabilities of the weak and underprivileged, exploiting the rich just because they're rich)but you can't help but to somewhat understand why they made the choices that they made.

I didn't really get drawn into the story line until about chapter 3 or 4, but once I did...I was hooked! I often say the testament of a great story line is one that has me wanting more after the last page. Crashers did that for me.

Was I disappointed with the ending? Slightly. Surprised? Definitely. But as is life, not everything can be tied up with a pretty little bow and put back on the shelf. Crashers gives an inside look at fraudulent car accidents and makes you think twice when that car behind you gets a little too close for comfort.

I received this book to review through Moms With Voices Media, all the opinions above are 100% my own.