Obsessed

Sorry that I have been kind of absent recently. I have been having a lot of pain and I also started school again (Yay!). So, I am trying to get into the swing of things. I wanted to share with you guys some of my recent obsessions.

Zoya

I have been extremely obsessed with nail polish recently and Zoya is definitely my favorite brand. It seems to last longer and go on smoother than most brands I have. Sally Hansen and Julep are runners up.

Urban Decay

Not only did I recently get the Naked palette, but I have also purchased quite a few 24/7 sticks and a few bottles of eyeshadow primer. All three of these products are the absolute best makeup products I have ever bought. With the primer and the Naked Palette or even the 24/7 stick my eyeshadow lasts all day As a result I am not buying any more eyeshadow (at least that is my goal). I have finally satisfied my makeup craving Thanks to Urban Decay.

Paradise by Coldplay

I actually could not stand Coldplay a few years ago. When I heard Paradise that changed. I am crazy about this song. It even inspired me to listen to more of Coldplay and I must say that I adore them now.

Foster The People- Torches

I am sure that you have all heard "Pumped up Kicks" by now, but you really need to listen to the entire Torches cd. It is amazing. Mark Foster is also fun and incredibly flawless live. Within the last year they have passed up many bands to become one of my top 5.

Target Flats

I recently bought these babies in black and they are so comfortable and cute. I can not wear high heels and I have to be careful how I walk due to some past ankle/foot injuries. So, comfortable dress shoes are a must.

What are you current obsessed with?

$500 Extreme Cash Giveaway!

It’s time for an EXTREME CASH GIVEAWAY! I have teamed up with my blogger friends to bring you an extreme cash prize. One lucky winner will receive $500 in their Paypal account at the end of this giveaway!

To enter, simply follow each of our blogs via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and any other way you’d like! All the links are provided for you and you can do as many as you choose. This giveaway ends 2/12/12 at 11:59 pm EST and is open worldwide.

You only need to enter this giveaway on one of our blogs -- good luck!

**TO ENTER- Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load. If you are reading this via RSS or Email, please visit the website to enter**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone Astaxanthin Skin Care Giveaway

Great news! There is a new line of products out from Dr. Nicholas Perricone: Super. He has developed lots of new innovative products like Night Recharge. Night Recharge is Astaxanthin Skin Care product (Astaxanthin is a natural skin protector that improves skin elasticity and increases moisture retention) that will brighten, smooth and renew your skin.

Then there is the Hyper Hydrator which contains medium chain triglycerides coconut oil to help moisturize, balance and soften your skin.

I am personally really excited about Supermodel Legs which is a tinted body lotion that shimmers, hydrates and smooths. My pale legs could really use this! It had Capsaicin in it which is supposed to be great for skin radiance.

Have Acne? Try the Acne Solution which contains Quercetin (an antioxadant from green apples) so calm sensitive skin and Salicylic Acid to prevent breakouts. The Acne Solution exfoliates, brightens and balances.

There are a lot of other great products too, so visit their website and glance around. Just like the regular Perricone website, the Super website is set up to be extremely user friendly. You can search for the products you want based on concern (Acne, Fine Lines and Wrinkles, etc), category (Cleanser, Activator, etc) or even search by Sciences (Gingerol, Probiotics, etc.).

GIVEAWAY:

One very lucky Thrifty and Frugal Living reader is going to win a Super product of their choice!

**TO ENTER- Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load. If you are reading this via RSS or Email, please visit the website to enter**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I am not receiving anything in exchange for this post, it is for my readers only. All opinions are 100% my own. I will receive a free Super product of my choice in exchange for a link on my website. I am not being compensated in any other way.

Welcome 2012!

I know I am a little late on this, but I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's! I had to work through both Holiday's, so I didn't get to do the posts I wanted to. I personally am very happy to see 2011 go. It was a year of tragedy, disasters and pain for me and a lot of the people that I know. I have heard people say that they thing it is lame when someone complains about the past year and that if they want change, they have to make the change themselves. It is not always that easy. My personal misfortunes/ tragedies were due to bad luck. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time (several times throughout the year). Unfortunately, I am not able to share details with you. Needless to say, I am still trying to recover and that is why I have been more absent on blogging. The same is true for many of my friends, lots of bad luck. There were a lot of unnecessary deaths and hardships in 2011. One of my coworkers even had her Husband murdered in a robbery 3 days after Christmas! Another friend lost his wife to breast cancer. The point is, I am ready to move beyond 2011. I am hoping 2012 will be better for a lot of people (including me, pretty please!).

It's funny because when I searched Google Pictures for a "2012" picture I was expecting to find lots of happy people from New Year's with funny 2012 glasses. What did I find? All Doomsday pictures...eekk. My personal opinion is that people like drama and create things like this to keep themselves amused. Didn't they say the world was going to end in 2000? No one mentions that anymore. 25 years from now there will be a new date and new worries. Do I think our planet is in trouble? Absolutely. However, I don't think it is going to blowup or collide with an asteroid or anything on a particular date. If mother nature were that predictable then the so called "Meteorologists" would at least be able to tell us if it was going to rain. Let's face it, they don't know crap.What is your opinion on 2012?

On to merrier news....I did have a VERY good Christmas gift wise. Hubby really surprised me by taking notes at a mall trip. He went to Sephora and picked me up some gifts:

pureDKNY Verbena

Urban Decay's Naked Palette

Have I mentioned how much I love my Husband? : ) I have been obsessed with this pureDKNY perfume since I received a sample a few months ago. It smells better than any other perfume I have ever had. It also smells incredible on my skin and lasts a decent amount of time.

The Urban Decay Naked Palette is something that I have drooled over for YEARS. I was telling my Husband about it when we were in the store and I kept looking at it. I could have bought it for myself, but I just could NOT bring myself to pay $48 for it. I am SO glad that Hubby did though. This is hands down the best eyeshadow I have ever used. I tested it out with the primer potion and 14 hours after putting it on, it looked just like it did when I first put it on. I don't know if it is the primer potion, the eyeshadow or both. All I know is that I now think this is completely worth the $48. Splurge on it Ladies! If you can't afford the Palette just yet, at least pick up the primer potion. Since I am so awesome, I will tell you that you can pick it up cheap ($10 for 10ml bottle..great deal) at Urban Decay right now. They also have some palettes on sale and a 24/7 shadow pencil set (that I just bought with some Christmas money...Thanks Mom) on Urban Decay's website.

I also scored an Amazon Kindle, iPod, lot's of Bath and Body Works, a Cheesecake Factory gift card (YUM!) and more! Thanks to all my amazing family members! What did you get?

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa January Events + Water Bottle Giveaway!

Just because the Holidays are over, doesn't mean that you have to stop partying and having a good time. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is always open! Here are the highlights for January:

Live Tribute to Elvis

Wednesday, January 8th from 9pm to 12:30am in the Hard Rock Cafe.

2012 SHR Girls Calendar on Sale

Calendars are available for $14.99 and are sold exclusively at the Seminole Hard Rock Retail Shop and Hard Rock Cafe Store, while supplies last. SHRT donated net proceeds from the first week of calendar sales to The Spring of Tampa Bay, a domestic violence prevention and emergency shelter agency.

 

Legendary Cadillac Giveaway

Tuesdays in January. Hourly drawings from 1pm to 9pm for $1,000 cash. Grand prize drawing at 9:30pm for a Cadillac SRX. Earn entries December 28, 2011- ­ January 31, 2012

Pirate Treasure Giveaway

Wednesdays in January. Win up to $5,000 Cash. Hourly drawings from 10am to 4pm. Earn entries December 29, 2011- ­ January 25, 2012.

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky Thrifty and Frugal Living reader will win a Seminole Hard Rock of Tampa water bottle:

**TO ENTER- Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load. If you are reading this via RSS or Email, please visit the website to enter**

December Events at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa + Giveaway (3 winners!!)

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is one of the best places to hang out in Tampa. It seems like every other day I hear of a new celebrity citing there. There are also a lot of celebrity "after parties". For example, Rome Ramirez from Sublime with Rome held a Rockstar Party at the beginning of the month (12/03) after he played at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheater. How cool is that? Anyways, there are a lot of great events this month (and every month). Here are the highlights:

New Years Eve Event ­ DJ Spider at the Hard Rock Café

Friday, December 30, 2011. 12am-4am. Tickets available at the door. $20 cover for guys all night. Ladies free until 1am, $10 cover 1am-4am. Bust Out Your New Year¹s Eve Dance Moves to the Sounds of LA¹s Hottest Spinmaster DJ Spider as He Kicks-Off Hard Rock Cafe Tampa¹s Weekend of Parties. SHRT (Seminole Hard Rock Tampa) is the ONLY place in Tampa Bay open late night, so everyone can party all night and all day long.

Santa¹s Sleigh Mercedes-Benz Giveaway

Win a Mercedez-Benz or $1,000 cash. Hourly Drawings 1pm ­ 9pm for $1,000 Cash. Grand Prize Drawing at 9:30pm. Earn Entries 11/30 ­ -12/27.

Flurries of Cash

December 1st- ­ December 28th, 2011. Win up to $10,000 cash or electronics including a laptop, TV, digital camera and Playstation 3.

Hard Rock Girls Calendar

On sale beginning December 8th.

WHY HUNGER/ IMAGINE

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa will collect food for the local Metropolitan Ministries this holiday season as part of the Imagine There¹s No Hunger campaign, a global campaign to raise awareness and funding for the fight against childhood hunger and poverty. Now -­ Dec. 13: Bags of Joy program ­ collection of toys, strollers, shoes, books and other essential items for children. November-December: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa employees will volunteer at the Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Tent. They will sort donations and prepare and serve food. Throughout the year: Lost and found items including clothing and eyeglasses are donated to Metropolitan Ministries. Hotel linen and terry are also donated. Now through Dec. 31, visitors and other supporters can text the word IMAGINE to 50555 to donate $10 to WhyHunger and help feed a hungry child.

For the full list of events visit the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa website!

GIVEAWAY:

Three lucky Thrifty and Frugal Living readers will win a prize this month! The first winner that is picked will win a grey Hard Rock Tampa 40th Anniversary T-shirt in Large. The second winner will receive a Hard Rock Tampa USB Keychain. The third winner will get a Hard Rock keychain. Good luck!

**TO ENTER- Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load. If you are reading this via RSS or Email, please visit the website to enter**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I did not receive anything in exchange for this post. I occasionally get perks and invites from the Hard Rock in exchange for me blogging for them. There is no monetary compensation. All opinions are 100% my own.

Maggies Direct Feather/Down Pillow Review and Giveaway

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to sleep on a cloud? With the right bedding you can achieve that feeling. Maggies Direct can help you with that! They have down comforters, pillows, featherbeds, blankets and more (they even have a pet section!).

I received the 95/5 Feather/Down Cuddledown pillow:

Maggie's Direct description: 

"Bestow your parents with this traditional feather pillow that is softer, yet has the same structured support you expect from an old fashioned pillow. Made with 95% Small Goose Feathers and 5% Goose Down and 100% cotton fabric, this feather pillow is double stitched, downproofed, Oeko-Tex® certified to be free of all harmful chemicals, and made in USA using fine imported materials. This complements well with quilted sateen pillow protectors, also available at Maggie's.

Care Instructions: Fluff on a daily basis. Air outside to keep smelling fresh. Spot clean small stains with a mild detergent and thoroughly dry area with a hand held hairdryer. Machine wash warm with a mild detergent. Thoroughly dry on low to prevent mildew. To keep down from clumping during the drying process, we recommend using fluffer-uppers in the dryer."

This pillow came in a really nice reusable plastic bag. I am currently using it to protect another pillow I have that I am not using. It would also be great to use when taking your pillow on vacation with you. The pillow itself is fantastic. My Husband is obsessed with feather pillows and stole this one from me after my first night of using it. I love him a lot...so I let him. Now he is feeling guilty and might buy me my own. : )
 

This pillow is really soft and comfortable. It has the perfect amount of filling in it. It is not overfilled like some pillows are. The pillow feels like it is 100% feather even though it is 95% feather and 5% down. I think the extra down gives it a little bit more fluffiness and makes the pillow perfect. The best part about this pillow is that it is double stitched! There will not be any pesky feathers poking out of this pillow.

You may be wondering why the Maggies Direct picture and website say "Social Network Shopping". Well, it is because they have an amazing awards system called 'Social Bucks". You get a Social Buck just for signing up and then you can earn more by completing tasks and buying products. If you invite friends then you even get Social Bucks for the items that they buy. You get Social Bucks for voting in the weekly poll, inviting friends, reviewing a product, signing up for Maggie's Direct newsletter, liking Maggie's Direct on Facebook and more. These Social Bucks can then be used to purchase items on Maggies Direct. They even work on clearance (which has quite a few $10 items)!

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader will win a pair of the 95/5 Feather/Down pillows.

**TO ENTER- Click READ MORE (below or click here to view full post) and enter using the Rafflecopter. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load.**

Disclaimer: I received the mentioned product(s) in exchange for this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Memory on Hand Review & Giveaway

Are you looking for the perfect gift for a teenager who is hard to buy for? What about a computer savy male? I have the perfect gift for you to buy. Memory on Hand bands are innovative and hip. They were created by Andrew Kitzenberg when he was an undergraduate at Babson College. What exactly are Memory on Hand bands? They are bracelets with built in flash drives. According to Memory on Hand, they are not fashion. They are "flashion". 

The MoH Bands come in 24 colors including solid colors and tie-dye. There are 2 different sizes you can get 2gb or 4gb. I would recommend getting the 4gb since it can hold more data and it is only a few dollars more. I received the 2gb MoH Band in Jade Turquoise:

The first thing I noticed was the nice packaging. This packaging is apparently new for Memory on Hand and it not only protects the bracelet, but it makes it look nice for a gift. When I tried on the band I was very impressed. I had a few worries about these bands: 1) that they would fall off and my information would be in jeopardy. 2) that the band would not fit my large wrist (I am from a big boned family and my wrist bones are literally "man sized"). 3) that the band would look cheap. All of my concerns were quickly erased the day I received my MoH band. While the fit is a little snug on me, it is comfortable. This size should be perfect for most adults and teenagers. The USB drive fits snugly into the bracelet & I have not had it fall off at all. You actually have to tug a little bit to get it out, so I don't think you would need to worry about this at all. The band is also nice looking. It fits right in with my other silicone bracelets and I even wear it upside down so that people don't see the "2gb" and know it has a USB drive.

This would be a fantastic gift. There are so many plain and boring flash drives out there, but nothing like this. It is also a great way for people that normally lose small flash drives to keep track of their information.

BONUS: If you like Memory on Hand on Facebook you will get free shipping (hint: it is on the left hand side underneath their picture).

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky Thrifty and Frugal Living reader will win a 2gb Memory on Hand band!

**TO ENTER- Click READ MORE (below or click here to view full post) and enter using the Rafflecopter. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load.**

Disclaimer: I received the mentioned product(s) in exchange for this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.