a little thing called Shutterfly--and a fun prize for you!!

When I say peanut butter...you say Jelly!

When I say macaroni...you say cheese!

When I say pictures....you say Shutterfly!

Yes, that's right....they go hand in hand.

When I think of photo gifts, and digital photo books (no...I am not so cool as to completely make those myself...PUH-LEEEEZE!!!) I absolutely think about Shutterfly!

So, imagine my suprise when I was chosen as one of their Shutterfly Experience Bloggers!!!

I had just gotten this book in the mail!!

Click here to view this photo book larger

And, I am in need of some of their fabulous photo cards!!!

What about these for Christmas....eek!!! Are we already thinking about Christmas! YES!!!!

Side Note: Holiday Photo Cards....a must in my house...all of the rest....well, let's just say I don't love them as much :)

And, then there are these Thank You cards!!! Oh, I love them! I need some good Thank you cards!

Now......here's the fun part!!!

You can win some Shutterfly Cards!! You can have the same "oooh ahhh" when your cards come in the mail that I always look forward to!!!

Contest ends Saturday, August 14th. I will draw 3 winners!!! Yes, 3 winners will win FREE Shutterfly cards!!!

Here's how to enter:

1. Go to the Shutterfly website, and tell me about a product you have ordered or want to order from Shutterfly

**Number 1 is mandatory**

Additional entries:

(leave me a comment for each)

2. Subscribe to my blog via email ------------------>

3. Follow me on Twitter

4. Post a link about this giveaway on YOUR blog, and come back and post the link

**Total possible entries: 4 per person!

Good Luck...and Happy Shutterfly!

BONUS: If you are reading this in time....you can get 25 free prints from Shutterfly using the code

PRINTSNOW (expires July 31)

I *heart* BondiBand *Giveaway*

I can't say enough about BondiBand. I love them. Yes, I would marry them. I am a fan. FO SHO!

I was skeptical at first, but, then...at the Walt Disney World Expo, I saw a really cute one...um...a pink one with Mickey Mouse on it. SOLD!

And, it's been a love relationship since that day!

Not only does it keep so much sweat off of my face it's amazing.....but it keeps my ever-loving earphones in place! They drive me nuts.

In the winter....I pull it down just a bit, and it keeps my little ears snuggled and warm :)

And, look how cute Gretchen looks wearing hers!

See, we ALL Love them...and they are toooo cute!!!

So, the best part is....you TOO can have your own!

Here's how:

Enter to win (leave me a comment for each)
1. Go to their website, and leave me a comment to tell me which BondiBand you like!
2. Go to their facebook page and tell them you found their site from Just call me B!
3. Subscribe to my blog via email ------------------->
4. Follow me on Twitter and RT this giveaway!

*I will draw a winner on Tuesday, August 3

Order yours today!! You will LOVE it!!!

What are you waiting for?!

Please tell me that you have joined Swagbucks by now!

What are you waiting for?! Search the internet, and earn free stuff!!!

No buying, no special tricks, no nothing.

Just use your Swagbucks toolbar instead of your google bar, and start earning!

You are searching the net anyways, right!!!!

So, if you have already joined, please leave me a comment and tell me some of the fun things you have earned?!

If you have not.....then click HERE and join today!! You will be glad you did!

I need a vote.....or two

So, it's not a shock that I love to enter contests.....BUT.....this one, I entered because I neeeeed it!

Yes, we have had our mattress since Scott was a Sophomore in High School! yes, that's right. Tragic!

So, I entered this.....then they changed the rules.....and now it has gone to a vote!

So...if you are a facebooker, will you please give me a vote.

Become a fan of Essentia (http://www.facebook.com/myessentia) and then click to vote for me #2Brittney!! I think you might have to click allow...to let it actually count your vote...but that's it.

It'll only take a second! Thanks a bunches!

And if you ever need MY vote for a contest.....all ya gotta do is ask :)

I am about to FLIP out!!!

Look what just arrived today!!!!!!!!!


Not just any ole Flip......but the brand new Flip SlideHD! Hot off the presses!!

Give me a few days to play with it and have some fun with the boys....but until then, you can check out all the ooey-gooey details HERE!

And, sure, go ahead, order one today! I know you are gonna love it!!! This little beauty is amazing!

The Sunny Gulf Coast --Oil Free Zone!

Because the Gulf Coast is so close to me (about 4 hours drive-time), we are heavily surrounded by the news of the Oil Spill and the way that it has devastated much of the business and industries here and on the Gulf Coast.

Primarily Gulf Shores, Alabama and Pensacola Beach are the areas that have been hit hardest. But, this weekend, we went to Panama City Beach, Florida.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

There are LOTS AND LOTS of Gulf Coast relief efforts out there, and I am thankful for that, but...one of the best things you can do is to GO. Go to the beach. Spend some $$ and some time!

It is just as gorgeous as ever!!!

So, I just wanted to post, and let you know....if you have a beach trip in your future...or were considering it....GO! You will be glad you did!

RAK - What a blessing

I was very excited when Jamie asked me to Guest Post on her blog! How fun!!

Of course, I am like the rest of the world, and I just have too many irons in the fire...so, yes, she had to NAG me to make me buckle down and post this!

But, I am so glad she did :)

I love a good RAK and I love to do them myself. Here's a few things we do here in my neck of the woods.

1. We have numerous times secretly paid for someone's order while we are INSIDE the restaurant and they are in the Drive-Thru. Try it sometime. Your kids will LOVE it.

2. Just help a sweet old lady with her groceries to her car. She will love it. You will too.

3. I love Love LOVE Starbucks. And, I feel like it is a luxury for me...so, many times, when I go thru...I try to treat someone in the line behind me....you never know what that person might be going thru. And, if they LOVE their Tall Mocha with a pump of Vanilla (my fave!) like I do....they will smile even bigger if it's free!

So, that brings me to my giveaway! I am a scrapbooker for fun, by passion and love...so, I have a FUN suprise pack of goodies to mail to some lucky Pure Joy reader!

Here's what you need to do to win: (leave a seperate comment for each)

1.Leave a comment here, and tell me a fun way that you share a RAK!
2. Follow Pure Joy through Google Friend.
3. Subscribe to MY blog via email
4. Leave a comment on any post on my blog. And then, come here and comment to tell me that you did.

It's official! I'm a Foodie!

Let me just tell you, after the trip to LA with Bertolli, and making some great new friends, like Jenny from Picky Palate, and Mandy, Gourmet Mom on the Go.....and all of the others.....I have a new love for food, and the love of food, and the fun that goes along with it!

So, I have been cooking up a storm here and trying new recipes, so, I hope to bring some of those to my blog, too!!!

I started with these!!! YUM!!

S'mores Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

Let me tell you, stop it all, these are DELICIOUS!!!

I won't re-invent the wheel, Jenny has done all of the work for you....but, I will give you my take on it!

I do not have the muffin top pan.....it is NOT because I don't want it...it's just because I don't have it *yet*.

So, I tried it on a cookie sheet, with parchment paper, and it worked like a dream. So, don't fret. No muffin top pan. No problem.

I started with my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (thanks again, Paula Deen and Oprah)!!


And, my two best Kitchen Helpers!!



We mixed it all up, and layed out the parchment paper.....I am partial to any and all things Pampered Chef, and, yet again, it did NOT disappoint!


After mixing the batter (which, btw, I baked some withOUT the s'mores pieces, and YUM, what a great Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!)....we put the s'mores pieces in....and popped these VERY LOW CALORIE cookies in the oven!

And, then, TA*DA! Yum-O! So delicious. And, for the record....this batter makes a bazillion cookies....and they keep VERY well in an air-tight container!!!

Try them TODAY! You....and all of your friends (cause it makes a bunch!) will be glad you did!!!

A fabulous photographer!!

You know how there's times when you see a photographer that is so-so, and then you see on that makes you stop in your tracks and sit and stare at the photos.....well, that's how I feel about Grethel Van Epps.....she is amazing. It's the eye. It's the photoshop skills. It's the way that I bet her clients feel so at ease when they are with her.

She has photographed some of my friends, and the personality that she can pull out of them is amazing. I am in awe of her mad skills!

So, just thought I'd link her up and share. Be prepared to campout on her site!

*and, she's having a little contest, so of course that prompted me, too *wink*

Rayovac Contest

As a part of the Summer Rayovac Blogger Promotion, I have had the fun opportunity to spend my summer already powered by Rayovac!!!

And, the wonderful people at Rayovac want you to play along too!!!

So, go to their facebook page, and from now until July 20, you can play along! There is no right or wrong answer...every day, they ask a fun question, and you answer....and be entered to win some great prizes!!!

So, get started...NOW!

Click here!

A facebook Challenge!!!

Can you help a sister out! Actually, my hubby, but....ya know!

Please go to the Marathon Bars facebook page, and LIKE them, and then leave a comment on this photo of Scott....he's trying to win a $$$ contest!

Easy...the photo with the most comments by July 11th wins it!

Thank you for commenting!!!

Here's the direct link:

and here it is too: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1336033&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=131643286858560&aid=-1&id=1271546860

Neutrogena UltraSheer Review

My first experience with Neutrogena UltraSheer

So, I have had the privilege of being among several people reviewing the New Neutrogena UltraSheer.

I was excited, and anxious to try it, so when it arrived, I immediately washed my face, and applied!

Now, when I started applying it, it seemed thick. A little too thick for my liking....BUT...as soon as it was on my face, that feeling was gone.

I could not feel it at all.

And, the label is right...it goes on nearly invisible...under makeup!

And, I spent a day in the sun...and yes, ma'am...good good results! No burn!

So...so far....I am a fan!

Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer!

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."