This is a compensated review
by BlogHer and Loft.

If you were to look into my closet, you would probably see a lot of black and gray. Their might be a few pops of color thrown in there to keep things a little interesting. Maybe I think it’s most flattering or maybe I’m just boring. But yes, that’s pretty much it.

A couple months ago I wrote about trying to incorporate a little more color and variety into my wardrobe. When I was given the opportunity to attend a shopping party at LOFT, I decided why not? Time to make good on that statement about being a little more adventurous with my clothing.

I’ve never shopped at LOFT before but upon first walking in they immediately had me hooked based on the colors palate alone. I’m a big fan of dark pinks and purples and they appear to be “in” right now. Talk about a good first impression.

I met a few of the team members while waiting for my stylist and photographer to get back from their break. Yes, I had a stylist and photographer for my visit to LOFT. Yes, they were AMAZING and yes, I was pretty awkward in front of the camera (but anyone who knows me would know that). But regardless of that, having someone bring you into a new store and pull looks for you was probably the most awesome experience ever. Especially when all the options were reasonably priced and super stylish!

So we pulled together three different looks: Perfect Party Outfit, Office-to-Party and Casual Holiday.

(left to right: office-to-party, holiday casual and perfect party)

First we have Office-to-Party. I loved the accessories we used in this outfit. We wrapped a sparkly, metallic necklace around my wrist a bunch of times and this fabulous studded and jeweled belt (you can’t see the belt too well in the photos so you’ll just have to trust me). The dress was great because it had pockets and well, who doesn’t love dresses with pockets?

Next up is Holiday Casual. I never have been much of a floral kind of girl but I loved this look. The top is super cute. I’m thinking I might have to go back and snatch it up. Also, that scarf. I loved the scarf. Other tips given that day- use the scarf as a headband or belt!

And finally, the Perfect Party Outfit. I lovelovelove the color of this dress. We paired it with some brown tights. Brown and fuchsia is totally something I never would have put together myself but it totally worked! And? It’s the perfect dress for a New Years Eve celebration.

In addition to meeting with a stylist, I was also given a $200 gift card. So with that and the rockin’ sale they had going on, I managed to score myself the fuchsia dress, tights, a pair of black booties I wore with a lot of the outfits I tried on, a cardigan and a top. A total shopping win. I’ll most definitely be back for a lot of the accessories I tried on and a few other pieces I seen in store.

I have a $200 gift card to loft for one lucky reader!

To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me what LOFT look (go check out the pretty things on the site and comment back!) works for you – or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.  The contest will begin at 12/10/2009 and will end 12/25/2009.  Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Rules:

* No duplicate comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
* This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older
* Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
* You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
* Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Make sure you check out the BlogHer.com special offers page where you have 15 (yes FIFTEEN!) chances to win a gift card from LOFT!

And oh look! A 20% off coupon for you to use at LOFT. Just in time for the holidays!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Arbor Mist

Here’s the thing I don’t get about sparkling wine. Who says it just has to be for a special occasion, like a wedding or New Years Eve? Personally, I think bubbly is good all the time. Whether it is dinner with friends, birthday or even just Thursday night with Grey’s Anatomy on. Whatever.

So when the opportunity came up to created a themed gift basket for a party type event of my choice centered around Arbor Mist Sparkling in the raspberry and peach flavors, I just couldn’t pass it up.

While racking my brain for a great idea, I remembered I had read a guest post from Leah awhile back saying she was thinking about making a “breakup basket” for a friend going through a rough breakup. As 20 and 30 somethings, we are dealing with relationships that may or may not always end up working out. We all know how a breakup can be no matter the terms it ends on. You can only sulk around for so long and then it’s time for your friends to get involved. Then the last thing a girl needs is to be alone when all the drama starts to pass.

And so I created the Breakup Survival Kit / Party!

What better way to brighten a girlfriend’s day than to show up at her place or drag her to yours with this baby. Inside we have all the essentials for a night in with your friends that is just what you need to get out of that post-breakup slump.

- Sparkly things: Arbor Mist Sparkling in Raspberry and Peach flavors (and don’t forget the flutes!) for a cheers to great girlfriends who always stand by you.
- Yummy things: cupcake mix and frosting (funfetti, of course), chocolate and popcorn for baking and snacking while you watch the next thing in this basket
- Hilarious things: seasons one and two of How I Met Your Mother on dvd. If you seen the show, you know exactly why I put this in my basket. It’s legen – wait for it – dary!
- Pampering things: assorted body scrubs, lotions, pedicure kits and nail polish because what girl doesn’t feel good after a fresh coat of polish?
- Dance Party things: an iTunes gift card to pick out some tunes for that epic dance party you will have before the night is through. I thoroughly recommend some Britney, Nsync and Spice Girls. There’s no better time than now to get a little cheesy  with it. Trust.
- Breakup bibles: It’s Called a Breakup Because It’s Broken and an issue of Cosmopolitan because guys might suck but hey, at least you aren’t that girl in the front of the mag that all those embarrassing stories happen to.
- Pretty things: last but not least, I’m tying it up with a pretty black rouched scarf. Ribbon is cool and all but there is nothing like rocking a new accessory that makes you feel amazing when you step out as the fierce.

How can a girl be bummed when she has great company, treats, Barney Stinson and fruity sparkling wine? You can’t. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.

Now I’m going to share the love and offer one lucky reader a $100 Visa gift card!

To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me something creative you have done to help get a friend over a rough patch (breakup or otherwise) or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. You must also leave you DOB (month/day/year) in your comment to be eligible for this sweepstakes.

The contest will begin at 12/4/2009 at 3:15 p.m. (PST) and will end 12/31/09 at 5:00 p.m. (PST). Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Rules:

* No duplicate comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
* This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 21 and older
* Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
* You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
* Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Be sure to check out Arbor Mist at their official site, become an Arbor Mist fan on Facebook, take a break at the Refresh Your Fun blog and follow Arbor Mist on Twitter.

Also don’t forget to stop by the review / giveaway roundup page: BlogHer.com special offers page. There are 7 chances for you to win!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii.

Well, I’m just about done with my 30 Day Challenge. I’ve probably done 15000 lunges, runs in places, thrown twice the amount of punches and way too many squats. But you know what?

It was worth it. Even after all the whining I did.

I’m a lazy exerciser. I hate doing it but I know I have to or I’ll never be happy with my body. This challenge though was a great way of making it fun. I didn’t have to go to the horrid gym. It had me doing exercises I never really thought to do and I didn’t get bored with it. Compared to a work out video like The Shred which is generally really the same thing over and over and over. It was really nice to have the variety.

I feel like the difference. The cardio definitely helped, I no longer become winded walking up a few flights of stairs. My legs feel stronger from all the lunges. I feel like I can tell there is a difference in how I look. I even got a compliment saying I looked a bit thinner and well, that’s always nice to hear!

Gripes? We need a wireless nunchuck! You hear that, Nintendo? Then I won’t smack myself in the face while boxing or getting tangled in it. I hope that happens to other people too or I’m just an incredibly clumsy dork. Really, I think it would really help if there were a wireless option.

Overall, I really enjoyed the EA Sports Active. It’s definitely something I will continue to use as part of a work out routine. Only part of it though because Jillian really kicks my ass so I think I’ll have to keep her around. Especially since BlogHer is coming up and dude, I’m already getting invites for cheeseburger parties and the wine! Oh the wine! I’ll work out extra hard so that weekends intake doesn’t count!

So has anyone else picked up EA Sports Active? I’d love to know what you think about it!

___

You can also check out the progress of the rest of the BlogHer reviewers and enter to win one of 5 copies of EA Sports Active. There is only 100ish comments last time I checked. There is a great chance you can win your own!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii.

Here we are starting week three of my 30 Day Challenge. I’m feeling very encouraged because I feel like I’m really starting to see results. The day before my Vegas vacation (June 4th), I picked up a new pair of jeans for my trip. Today, I can slide them down without even having to unbutton them! Although, when I look at myself in the mirror, I don’t feel like I see any difference but obviously, there is and it’s pretty exciting.

As for the exercises, the squats are still killer. I don’t think I will ever like them and I whine the whole time while doing them. I probably waste more effort whining about them than it takes to actually do them. And the lunges, those make me tell my Wii trainer I better have some awesome legs after doing them so often. I’m really enjoying boxing though. It makes me feel kind of like a bad ass except I won’t be feasting on ears or tattooing my face anytime soon, sorry to say. Don’t test me though, I have a wicked right hook.

I think my favorite part so far is being able to do this from the comfort of my own home. I’m not very comfortable in my own skin and huffing and puffing all red faced at the gym makes me feel singled out even more. So this? I can really appreciate.

My big project now will be working on a play list. I can’t do the music the game gives me anymore. I know it’s a silly complaint but I need some music to keep me going!

What do you listen to when you work out?

___

You can also check out the progress of the rest of the BlogHer reviewers and enter to win one of 5 copies of EA Sports Active.

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and SmartFood.

Being healthy and happy is my big goal this year. I’m taking part in the 30 Day Challenge and doing the The Shred. So of course, what goes hand in hand with fitness better than eating well? My biggest issues with eating healthy is feeling like I am denying myself of things I really enjoy. I have a hard time with moderation when I dig into chocolate or chips for a snack. I know I can’t be the only one out there who deals with this! Enter SmartFood. Smartfood is the snack for women who want to indulge without feeling guilty. With flavors of popcorn clusters like Honey Multigrain, Cranberry Almond and my favorite, Chocolate Cookie Caramel Pecan, it certainly sounds like you should feel guilty. It’s totally not the case though. SmartFood is made with real popcorn clusters and then they throw in all the good stuff like chocolate and caramel. Trust me, it’s the best combination ever! When you break it down SmartFood has:

• 5 grams of fiber
• excellent source of calcium
• only 2 grams of fat per serving
• 0 grams of trans far per serving
• n0 preservatives
• no artificial coloring or flavors

(That is for the one with chocolate too!) SmartFood is an easy, healthy and best of all yummy, snack for all kinds of women. Whether you are a single girl like myself who is looking for a tasty and healthier alternative to date night movie popcorn or a 9-to-5-er like my mom who can use a quick pick me up snack in the middle of her work day. No matter what kind of life you lead, SmartFood has the right snack for you. Check out the Women’s World Website for more information on SmartFood and other great snacks.

I want to know how you celebrate a girls’ night in and you can win a $100 Visa gift card!

To enter, leave me a comment below and let me know how you celebrate girls’ night in – or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.  The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PST) June 15 and will end 5:00 p.m. (PST) July 15, 2009.  Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct. Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years of age or older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules

Enter here and then visit the BlogHer Special offers page for 7 more chances to win!

A little late due to my dad being in the hospital but better late than never!

Alright so I’m not going to lie, this 30 Day Challenge is kicking my butt. I’m reaaaally out of shape. But the good thing is as I continue to push along, it is getting easier. I’m not breathing as hard as when I first started and not getting tired as quickly so I’m definitely taking those as a good sign. I’ve yet to really notice any changes in my body but then again, I’m rather heavy. I’m not expecting to physically SEE results right away. I’m going to go more by how I feel and how my clothing fits. Let’s talk about dedication now. Who manages to plan a Las Vegas vacation right at the beginning of her 30 Day Challenge? THIS GIRL. I wasn’t about to lose so I packed up the Wii and brought it with me. I did go light on the exercises though because hello, have you walked the Vegas strip?! I mean really, I was ready to cut my legs off from the knees down because my feet and calves hurt so bad. But I’m glad I brought it because even though I got laughed at for bringing a whole effing video game system, my two roomies were interested! Seriously, though that’s what’s so nice about the Wii, it’s pretty small and portable. You won’t see me stuffing an actual personal trainer in my suitcase. 1) because I don’t think they’d like it too much and 2) that’s probably illegal. There is a couple things I’m not really feeling. One being, I’m still having some nunchuck issues (OMG how many times to you hear people say that?!). Sometimes my exercises aren’t registering when I’m doing them and it’s super frustrating. I’ve learned to really watch the demonstrations before doing it myself. If you’re slightly off with positioning then you have the nunchuck issues. My second issue is really just a personal annoyance. My trainer I made is a bit annoying. Her encouragement makes me want to throw my nunchuck at the tv. And then the “you’re going to have to work harder than that” make me throw witty retorts back like “you’re face is going to have to work harder than that”. What can I say, I’m mature. Stay tuned next week for another update!

___

You can also check out the progress of the rest of the BlogHer reviewers and enter to win one of 5 copies of EA Sports Active.

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii.

After trying EA Sports Active, I can surely tell you that it really is like a personal trainer. Just because you are not in the flesh, doesn’t mean they aren’t kicking your butt! First off, I really love the built in journal and feel it will be pretty helpful. You can help monitor your food intake and track other activity that you do outside of the game. I weighed myself today and will be able to track my progress through that and I’m going to buy a measuring tape to track inches as well. As for the exercises, I’m not a runner at all. I have jacked up knees and ankles from playing softball for years and one of my exercises is to run/walk in place. My first exercise in and I was already in pain. But what is nice about EA Sports Active is that you can pick and choose what activities you want to do. Since the running hit me pretty hard today, I can choose to do only one running exercise at the end of my next workout instead of the three that were in my exercise list for the day. Kind of neat. What I didn’t like so far is I was having some technical difficulties. I had my leg band and controllers exactly where they were suppose to be but it wasn’t picking up my movements. I don’t know if that was my fault or not but it really was a pain. The game is telling me I’m not doing my squats and I’m like my legs and ass are saying DUDE, I disagree, enough with the squats! My first overall impression is I’m surprised how much this got me sweating. Just because it is a game defintely does NOT mean it isn’t hard work. And I’ll wrap it up with a question: Would you consider using a video game as a form of exercise? Why or why not?

___

You can also check out the progress of the rest of the BlogHer reviewers and enter to win one of 5 copies of EA Sports Active.

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii.

Everyone who reads my blog knows I struggle with my weight and body image so when this opportunity popped up, I jumped at it. Today I’ll be starting the EA Sports Active for the Wii 30 Day Challenge.

It’s basically a personal trainer in a box since it makes customized fitness programs for you. AND even better, I won’t have to go to that hateful thing they call “a gym”. I mean, a video game that will make me skinny if I keep at it? Let’s do it!

___

Day One

The game is telling me I’m not doing my squats and I’m like my legs and ass are saying DUDE, I disagree, enough with the squats!

Read more about the first day of my challenge.

Week Two

You won’t see me stuffing an actual personal trainer in my suitcase. 1) because I don’t think they’d like it too much and 2) that’s probably illegal.

Read about how I took a video game to Las Vegas.

Week Three

The day before my Vegas vacation (June 4th), I picked up a new pair of jeans for my trip. Today, I can slide them down without even having to unbutton them!

Read more.

Week Four

Well, I’m just about done with my 30 Day Challenge. I’ve probably done 15000 lunges, runs in places, thrown twice the amount of punches and way too many squats. But you know what?

It was worth it. Even after all the whining I did.

Read more.

___

Make sure you stay tuned to see how I’m doing with the challenge this month. I’m sure it will be interesting, to say the least. You can also check out the progress of the rest of the BlogHer reviewers and enter to win one of 5 copies of EA Sports Active. Don’t forget to stop by the EA Sports Active official site for more info on what will be kicking my butt this month!

COMMENTS CLOSED

When I received an email from BlogHer asking me if I wanted to review something, I thought awesome. Then when they said it was chocolate, I said, “Seriously? Is that a question you even have to ask?!” THEN they were like you’ll be reviewing M&M’s but not just any M&M’s, they are M&M’s Premiums.

Then I died.

Because really, you want to send me chocolate and ask me to blog about it?

I’ll sell my soul for just plain peanut M&M’s and these are rich, creamy and are prettier. No really, they are like glittery and shiny. Almost too pretty to eat but then you’re like seriously, pretty or not, I’m not about to let M&M’s go to waste especially if they are Raspberry Almond ones! (those were seriously the best ones ever)

I also had to think of a question for a contest so I can hook one of YOU up with this awesome package.

What’s in it you ask? Well, let me tell you!

1 carton of M&M’S® Premiums Raspberry Almond
1 carton of M&M’S® Premiums Chocolate Almond
1 carton of  M&M’S® Premiums Mocha
1 carton of M&M’S® Premiums Triple Chocolate
4 M&M’S® Brand Martini Glasses
1 pack of M&M’S® Premiums Wine Charms

Chocolate, martini glasses and wine charms? The theme of my contest was clear now. What do these things all seem perfect for?

Girls’ Night!

Personally, when I hang out with my BFF we go for a yummy meal, drink some fruity drinks and pop in some dvds. Last time, it was Friends because how can anyone resist 80 hours of laughs?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwzvtjeYBQ&hl=en&fs=1]

So lovely friends, I ask you: what is your ideal night with your girlfriends?
Do you go out or stay in? Where do you eat, what do you drink, watch? Tell me and you might win one of those awesome prize packs up there. You’ll have M&M’s for days!

How to enter:
Leave me a comment below and share your ideal girls’ night – or blog your response and you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at 12:00 a.m. (PST) on Monday, February 16th, and will end Sunday, February 22nd at 11:59 p.m (PST). Make sure that the email address you leave is correct. (No worries, I won’t share it with anyone!)

Rules:
* No duplicate comments.
* This giveaway is open to U.S. residents.
* Winners will be selected randomly, and will notified by email.
* You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
* See the official rules for details.

Find out more about M&M Premiums here. And don’t forget to check out the BlogHer.com review/giveaway round-up page here while you’re at it.

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