New album from Rod Stewart - it's about Time.

Recently I was approached by the One2One Network about reviewing the new album by Rod Stewart... they sent me a copy of the new CD and here are my thoughts...

You may have started hearing his singles, "She Makes Me Happy", and "Finest Woman", on the radio in the past 2 months and well, of course there is no mistaking the voice of Rod Stewart! After nearly 20 years he's back!
Today Rod Stewart's new album, Time, hits stores and online outlets like Amazon and iTunes.
While he's been away from writing he's been living and having many of the experiences that we all have - Stewart has spent four decades being a rock star {well, okay, most of us haven't been doing *that*}, three being a parent, has loved, divorced, and found love again... and that's what this album is about... Life. I think everyone can find something to relate to and love about Rod's new album, Time.


In TIME Stewart wrote and produced 11 of the 12 tracks, and rediscovered the spark for songwriting while reviewing his life for his recent memoir. 

"Suddenly ideas for lyrics were piling up in my head," he says. "Next thing I knew, I had a song called 'It's Over' about divorce and separation. And now I was getting up in the middle of the night and scrambling for a pen to write things down, which has never happened to me. I finished seven or eight songs very quickly and I still wasn't done, and it became apparent that I would eventually have a whole album of material to record."

This album has something for everyone - many will love the 2 singles already out but my favorites are the heartfelt "Pure Love", and the upbeat "She Makes Me Happy". But those two songs are not the only ones to love, high on the list is also the happy song of the album, "Beautiful Morning", the gospel-y Tom Waits cover, "Picture in a Frame",  and I could go on and on but I won't. There is a wonderful mix on this album from ballads, to rockers & dance, to a little country twang but don't let that scare you - it's all Rod Stewart through and through and it's a delight.
Check it out for yourself by heading over to Amazon and getting a little sample taste of each track. Go on you know you want to. 

Welcome back Mr. Stewart.

Stewart will also be embarking on the European leg of his Live the Life tour on June 1st, while American dates with Steve Winwood will kick off October 17th, 2013.

Hook up with Rod here:

rodstewart.com - video & tour dates

Twitter

Facebook

Youtube

Don't miss Rod on The Voice on May 8, Good Morning America on May 9, and Live With Kelly & Michael on May 11.

Obligatory disclaimer b/c the FCA believes that blog readers are less than the sharpest crayons in the box apparently: As mentioned I was sent Time to review. All opinions are my own. I received no compensation for posting this review, altho' there is a sweepstakes that I'll be entered into for unknown prizes for posting this review But I would have posted regardless. This post also contains affiliate links to Amazon, where if someone were to purchase something I'd get a teensy weensy kickback that I'd be eternally grateful for... and why isn't grateful spelled greatful? Anyway, that's that.
Please spay and neuter your pets, adopt don't shop when looking for a new pet to join your family, and practice kindness. ty!

Free MiO at participating 7-eleven stores

Just a quick head's up for those of you who have 7-Eleven stores :: On April 23, 7-Eleven is inviting guests nationwide to ambush their taste buds with a free 1.62-ounce regular size MiO Energy Black Cherry. MiO is a liquid water enhancer that comes in an array of great tasting flavors and gives you the power to punch up your water with a burst of flavor, and a jolt of energy. With up to 18 (8 fl. ounce) servings and a no-spill cap, MiO lets you add flavor on your terms and provides the ultimate portability.

 7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store retailer, will be offering guests a free MiO on April 23 (12:00 am to 11:59 pm) at participating locations nationwide while supplies last. Guests simply need to bring the product up to the register and mention this promotion. The free offer is valid on MiO Energy Black Cherry.

Disclaimer: I received nothing for this post - just wanted to share. :)

{Giveaway} Need new glasses? Check out Firmoo

Firmoo is a great way to help you save on glasses!

                             

I wanted to give everyone a quick head's up on a great new company I recently found. I did a Spring is coming {I promise it is...} post for them about a week ago and they've recently contacted me about doing a giveaway - it's not your average giveaway so keep reading for the info - it is a crazy EASY giveaway tho'. :)

Firmoo contacted me to collaborate with them because they are giving out free glasses and would like me to share the great news with you! You know all the cool kids are wearing glasses these days, and there are such cute styles available now! Even people who don't need an Rx for glasses are wearing them - and Firmoo also has sunglasses to keep your peepers safe in the sun. 

So here is a wonderful chance to win some whether you actually need glasses or not! 

Yes, it is totally free for you! Frame + Lenses + Shipping = $0! Cool huh?!

How long have you kept your current glasses? I bet for most of you the last time you bought a new pair of glasses was three years ago or longer - I know my dh didn't buy new ones until a tree branch grabbed his off his darling face while he was mowing one day - and he ran over them with the mower.{it's also good to have a back-up pair}

Professional ophthalmologists recommend that you have a yearly eye exam and replace your glasses regularly to ensure your eye health. If your prescription has changed but you still wear the old prescription eyeglasses, you are in high-risk of deteriorating your vision - or at the very least headaches can ensue. Besides new glasses can give you a whole new look! I shudder to think of the old huge 80's glasses that I used to wear! lol. Oh, wait, those things are probably back in style somewhat. Good thing this isn't a fashion blog! :) But check out these cute glasses below. {and the cat ears! love!}

This is the NEW INFO from Firmoo: 

Dear All,

Due to the overload of the server, we've decided to turn the crazy-giveaway into a luck draw. Thank you all for your support and understanding!

The 2nd 50 pairs will be given away at 9:00 a.m. on April 16th EST at our Facebook Page.

 Sincerely Yours,

Firmoo Team

And the crazy giveaway info you were looking for... Beginning at 9am on 16 April 2013 {I'll remind you} Firmoo will be giving away a certain amount of eye wear each day - so first come, first served! 

And so even more of you can win, Firmoo will be drawing one lucky person, per day, from those who share this page on twitter and FB before 16 April! 

So are you thinking about getting a pair of new glasses but worried it would cost you an arm and a leg? Head over to http://www.firmoo.com/z/blogger-crazy-giveaway.html and get your free glasses now!

Remember the giveaway won't begin until 16 April! :) BUT you can tweet/FB share NOW as Firmoo is picking daily winners NOW. And, if you go and choose which glasses style you want now - you will be ready to put in your info when the code is released and have an even greater chance of winning on 16 April!

Disclaimer: I was sent the above info about Firmoo's crazy giveaway by... Firmoo. I will receive a small monetary donation into my paypal acct. for my time to post this info for you. I have also been offered a free pair of glasses - but I've not got around to ordering yet as I'm hoping to find my Rx before doing so. :)

{Review} The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep

We all lament that babies just don't come with instruction books - Well, finally, here's an instruction book that may just help tremendously with the age-old problem of getting your kids to sleep better. {which means YOU'LL sleep better too!}

{Now before you head to any links here the powers that be would like me to let you know that I was given a free copy of the book to facilitate my review. - in case the word "review" in the title wasn't enough of a clue. I, however, think my readers are smarter than TPTB think they are lol}

My girls were always pretty good sleepers, and my granddaughters do okay also - but I'm sure if I were to ask their mom... she'd say she could definitely use a little more sleep time. I'll be sharing this book with my daughter so she can learn to boost the girls' sleep time in easy steps. 

This book doesn't just give you some steps to do then says - there. try it. It has gobs of info about how we sleep, why we sleep, and more. I really found it quite interesting!

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Dr. Harvey Karp made doctors applaud and parents cheer with his brilliant solutions to centuries-old problems such as colic and tantrums. Now, in THE HAPPIEST BABY GUIDE TO GREAT SLEEP: Simple Solutions for Kids from Birth to 5 Years (William Morrow Paperback; On-Sale: March 19, 2013; $15.99; ISBN: 9780062113320), Dr. Karp stuns the world again by solving the #1 problem plaguing new parents: exhaustion.  Dr. Karp's surprising insights include:

• How new babies can be taught to sleep at least one extra hour from the very beginning. And this is not a "cry it out" method. :)
• How to use white noise to improve sleep for all babies; and what white noise not to use. Hint: the best is a low-pitched rumbling noise.
• Surprisingly, you should always wake a sleeping baby as he/she is being put to bed: This teaches babies how to self-soothe, which is the best  way to teach them how to fall back to sleep during the night.
• Swaddling: Dr. Karp will teach you how to do it properly and safely. You can read a Slate interview about the Swaddling ban here. And another interview from Parents.com here.
• How important powering down from tech is and how this can be extremely helpful in helping your toddler get to sleep.
• Easy "no-cry" tips that end infant and toddler bedtime struggles in just days!

With THE HAPPIEST BABY GUIDE TO GREAT SLEEP, no longer will new parent have to suffer months of sleep deprivation and no longer will babies have to cry themselves to sleep. Backed by compelling science, common sense and decades of experience, Dr. Karp’s landmark guide will revolutionize how millions of children drift off to dreamland.

BUY The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep.

Disclaimer: I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. My participation in the campaign enters me into a drawing for a gift card. All opinions stated are my own

{Giveaway} Relish Reusable Green Hop - Little Monsters Diapers

Welcome to the Relish Reusable Giveaway Hop hosted by Measuring Flower and Eco Crazy Mom! I have teamed up with a group of other green bloggers to bring you a bunch of fun, eco-friendly, and reusable giveaways worth a minimum of $25 each. So, after you've entered our awesome giveaway below, be sure to "hop" on to the next blog to enter their giveaways as well. You can find a list linking to all the other blogs towards the bottom of this post. Don't forget to enter the event's big grand grand prizes, including $200 of reusable products donated by Reuseit.com!

Today Mark it with a B is giving away a Little Monsters Diaper to one lucky winner! This company is completely new to me, but has some really cute, unique pocket diapers. To learn more about this unique diaper check out my Little Monsters Diaper review.

Enter on the Giveaway Tools Widget - and don't forget to enter for the grand prize above, AND after you enter on my page, hop around to the others listed below the entry widget. There are some great prizes up for grabs on some fabulous blogs!
Happy hopping!! and good luck everyone!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: This event’s hosts and the participating bloggers are not responsible for any sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes, but will do their best to ensure that each winner receives their winnings.

{Review} Little Monsters Diapers

If you've not yet read my post about grandparents and cloth diapering please check it out. It should open in a new window for you.

While many One-Size Pocket Diapers look the same Little Monsters Diapers has found a way to be a little different; they put awesome embroidered designs on the back of the diapers! You can get monsters, a monkey, ladybug, bunny... the list goes on. Little Monster Diapers sent us the brown Sunflower diaper for review. This was a nice surprise as I think it will go nicely this summer with a little top that I made for Riley - and of course, the pocket diapers don't need covers so... everyone can see the cute designs on the bum!

Here are a few of my favorite designs - including the sunflower that we received:

The Little Monster Diaper comes with a microfiber insert which, I'm sure, will be fine for little ones or light wetters. Most of the time you will need to double up with another insert for your heavy wetters, or during naptime or overnight. This is true of any microfiber insert that comes with any diaper. If you happen to have a bamboo or hemp insert you can double that up with the microfiber and get great absorbency.

Our diaper has 3 rise snap adjustments and 2 rows of waist snaps for a great fit on most babies from 9-35lbs.

Here's a few pics of Riley. We got a great fit snapping the rise on the 2nd snap - she is 6 months now and about 15 pounds. Nice soft gathers on the chubby little baby legs. :) {sorry about the fuzzy pic!}

And her cute little fluffy bum with the top that I thought *might* match. It really doesn't but it coordinates just fine, even tho' I don't think there is a speck of yellow in the top lol. :) 

The inner material is a really really soft microfleece and the outer is, of course, PUL - which is also nice and soft and stretchy. I don't know what the difference is but I've got another diaper that happens to be PUL but it's not as stretchy. The stretch is really nice and helps us to get a great fit.

Info for the Grandparents:

• If you have limitations that might make snaps difficult, especially on a squirmy baby, these might be difficult for you. Look into getting a diaper with touch tape instead.
• During naps if you are using Microfiber inserts you will probably have to double up with a lay-in insert - always keep the microfiber *inside* the pocket and away from baby's skin - I don't know that it will hurt them but I hate the feel of it and shudder at the thought of it touching sensitive baby skin. {or have babe's mom provide hemp or bamboo inserts instead}

If snaps are not an issue and you understand about not putting microfiber against baby's skin - the Little Monster Diaper is a darling addition to any cloth diaper stash!

Which Little Monsters Diaper is your favorite?

Connect with Little Monsters on FB.

{Review} Slimmer the New Mediterranean way to Lose Weight

Okay, what's the first thing you all think of when I say... Mediterranean Diet?
Pasta? Yeh, me too. Serious pasta.
This one word is why I nearly refused to review the book Slimmer - The New Mediterranean Way To Lose Weight by Harry Papas. {We are grain-free}
The book came in the mail today from the publisher, I opened it to a random page and read this:

   When many people think of a Mediterranean diet they immediately envision bowls of pasta and delicious breads and pizza. Altho' these are definitely a part of the Mediterranean menu, they are not consumed at the high levels that you might imagine and certainly not at the levels consumed in America. Pasta, beloved by every Italian and enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean, is usually served as a first course in quite small quantities as a prelude to the main meal which consists of a protein selection, veggetables, and a salad. When it appears as part of a main course, the portion size is very moderate.

Then it goes on to talk of other grains that are commonly used in places that aren't America {unless you are a crunchy person perhaps} - So far so good!

Anyway, I'm currently on page 18 of skimming this book and Mr. Papas has already mentioned grass-fed animal products, vitamin D, and probiotics! I think I might be in love with this book! Later I'll be making a few recipes from the book to share with you - and I might even go on the "diet" plan, which is a 3 cycle program with each cycle being made up of 3 weeks. The menu plan, and recipes are even provided for you in the book!
Below you will find more info from the publisher but... I'm really really liking what I'm reading so far! If you are looking for some new recipes, or need to loose some weight - I would easily recommend this book. There are varied and yummy sounding recipes, as well as the menu plan, a nice FAQ regarding substitutions etc, and a section on the emotional aspects of eating and what might have gotten us here in the first place.

A few of the recipes I'm looking forward to trying are: 
Mediterranean Burger, Shrimp with Lemon Sauce, and the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. There are several salads and a variety of recipes using chicken as well. Something for everyone!

Slimmer can be purchased through Amazon or through their website. 
Connect with Slimmer:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube

Here's some more info from the Publisher: 

Harry Papas’ Mediterranean Diet, www.TheSlimmerBook.com uses Greek cuisine to quickly and dramatically reduce both fat and health issues, while filling plates with Aegean-Style spin on traditional American meal favorites.

Greek author Harry Papas was studying at the Department of Dietetics of the University of Athens at the age of 19, weighing 280 pounds. He decided it was crucial that he find a solution to his weight problem. Mr. Papas to created Slimmer, his own diet plan which helped him regain his health, lose 110 pounds and remain slim since 1996. He established his own successful Health and Diet Centre in Athens. He incorporated his successful nutrition program into a book to help as many people as possible. Slimmer immediately became the most successful and best-selling diet and health book ever published in Greece.

Slimmer is a simple nutrition plan: a delicious, low-fat Mediterranean diet with revolutionary, fat-burning ingredients coupled with the self-awareness to combat the triggers that contribute to weight gain.  Todd Bottorff, President and Publisher of Turner Publishing in TN, decided to try the program for himself and trimmed-down so swiftly that he became a very vocal supporter of Papas.

“ When I first spoke to Harry about his New Mediterranean Diet, I was inspired by his story, his passion, his success, and the science,” Bottorff says. “I thought I would test it in the best way I knew, to try it myself,” explained. “I was a bit thick around the middle when I started Harry's plan, in one month I was amazed at the effects. The recipes were easy to make. All the ingredients were available at the local grocery. I could not even eat all the food that he recommended and I was never hungry plus that stubborn extra weight was gone.”

Bottorff added, “The other effect that I did not realize was that in the past I have had sinus headaches and those completely went away which I attribute to the natural whole food approach.” Mr. Bottorff earned degrees in liberal arts from the University of Virginia and a Masters of business administration from Harvard University.
The New England Journal of Medicine agrees with Papas’ diet. In its Feb. 25^th, 2013 study titled: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet, the NEJM confirmed this is the best, life-long, satisfying way to eat to be healthy and fit. “Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events,” the article states.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of the book, Slimmer, free of charge to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own, some info was supplied by the publisher and is so noted. This post may contain affiliate links.