- Christine


Posted by Christine of Random Thoughts With Chris

Featured weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

It seems like silver jewelery is everywhere. It only makes sense - it's beautiful, shows off a great tan, lasts forever with little care and best of all, it's affordable. You can buy beautiful sterling pieces at a fraction of the cost that you would pay for white gold and look every bit as stylish.

Silver Sachet is the place to go when you're looking for a beautiful piece of silver jewelery at a great price! Silver Sachet is a leading distributor of Sterling Silver Jewelry and has one of the largest selections of Sterling Silver Jewelry in the world!

Mother's Day is just around the corner - Silver Sachet is sure to have many thing that will put a smile on Mom's face.

We are lucky enough to have this gorgeous bracelet to give away to one lucky reader! This 4mm high polished bangle has a lovely circle plate and hook catch (60mm inside diameter) and weighs in at 10.7 grams.

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Pop on over to Silver Sachet and explore their website - then come back and leave us a comment telling us what your favorite piece is and also which one you think your Mom would like the best.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name) - if the twitter link isn't working - it is a twitter problem, not our link so please keep trying!

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you. If you are already a subscriber, leave me a comment and let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

*We also have a BONUS entry for this contest! Simply become a follower of Silver Sachet's on Twitter for a bonus entry! (Leave us a comment with your twitter name)

There you have it! Six Seven very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page - please be sure to check it if you have any questions about rules or residency requirements.

This contest ends Tuesday, May 5th at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Happy Weight Loss Wednesday everyone! Have you heard of Spark People? If not, go check it out. Sparkpeople.com is a great health and fitness resource. Below is an example of just one of their helpful articles. Funny that I was beginning to write something similar just yesterday, but I thought this was so well done, that I decided to share it here. Happy reading:

Selecting the right foods also means choosing portions that are proper serving sizes. The terms "portion" and "serving" are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing. A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins). In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too. When choosing your portion, try to make it as close as possible to these recommended serving sizes.

Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Bread	1 ounce (1 small slice, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 bun)	Index card
Cooked Grains	1/2 cup cooked oats, rice, pasta	Billiard ball
Dry cereal	1/2 cup flakes, puffed rice, shredded wheat	Billiard ball

Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Raw fruit	1/2 cup raw, canned, frozen fruit	Billiard ball
Dried fruit	1/4 cup raisins, prunes, apricots	An egg
Juice	6 oz 100% fruit or vegetable juice	Hockey puck
Raw vegetables	1 cup leafy greens, baby carrots	Baseball
Cooked vegetables	1/2 cup cooked broccoli, potatoes	Billiard ball

Meat and Beans: Aim for 2-3 servings each day. Choose lean meats and plant proteins whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Meat & Tofu	2-3 oz cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu	Deck of cards
Beans	1/2 cup cooked beans, split peas, legumes	Billiard ball
Nuts & Seeds	2 Tbsp nuts, seeds, or nut butters	Ping pong ball

Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Cheese	1 ounce or 1 thin slice of cheese	A pair of dice
Milk	1 cup milk, yogurt, soy milk	Baseball

Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Fat & Oil	1 tsp butter, margarine, oil	One die

Featured Weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

Teri Gault, Founder and CEO of money-saving website www.thegrocerygame.com and author of recently published book Shop Smart, Save More knows how to keep her life organized and the benefits that go hand-in-hand with it. Teri has developed simple organizational tactics that will surely help you save money during the economy. Sometimes by simply knowing where something is in the house, can save you money from having to go out and buy it again. So get organized and start saving!

Below are just some of Teri’s great tips for keeping organized at a low cost:


* Organize Your Coupons. In Teri’s business, coupons are the ultimate key to saving money. Teri recommends organizing your coupon file by date and store for ease and convenience for your shopping day. Keeping your coupons organized for the grocery store as well as department and drugstores will save you time and money!


* Plan Ahead. Plan your vacations early and save money on airfare and hotel rates. Vacations are a necessary part of saving our sanity in the busy lives that we lead. But vacations are also a huge drain on the family finances. You can cut the cost of a vacation significantly by planning and booking ahead of time. Bookmark travel sites for finding inexpensive airfare, hotel etc., and book at least two weeks in advance. Plan your finances early, when big purchases are going to occur – save a little ahead of time. Pay your monthly minimum on credit card bills, a little at a time.


* Shop at Many Stores. If you get the urge to go shopping for that new Spring/Summer wardrobe, go to a mall (outdoor or indoor) or outlet center of shops to give yourself options. The walking around the stores will give you a little exercise for the day and save you money on gas when you hop from store to store.


* Swap It. Becoming more and more popular with the recent economy, swap-meets! But instead of going into a big auditorium with strangers and exchanging goods, friends and family members are exchanging clothes, furniture, books, etc. You name it, they’ll swap it!


* Save Your Receipts. One of the best ways to keep your finances in order, is to save your receipts and keep track of your spending. Purchasing or reusing binders to house the receipts is also a great money saving trick! (also helps during the busy tax season!)


* Only Buy On Sale. One of the best ways to save you a few bucks is to only purchase items on sale. So if you HAVE to have that brand new sweater or pair of shoes, wait a few weeks and I guarantee that they will have already reduced their prices!


We have one of these great money-saving books to give away to one lucky reader!

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Pop on over to The Grocery Game and explore their website - then come back and leave us a comment. Let us know which you think - how it may save you some big bucks.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name) - if the twitter link isn't working - it is a twitter problem, not our link so please keep trying!

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you. If you are already a subscriber, leave me a comment and let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page - Please be sure to check them if you have any questions about residency reqirements, etc.

This contest ends Monday, May 4th at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

"Asparagus Lovers Unite for Obama!" It's a recipe contest to find the best asparagus recipe in America, and is open to food bloggers, home cooks, chefs -- anyone that has a favorite asparagus recipe.

President Obama knows what he's doing when it comes to the economy, but he's a bit of a picky eater when it comes to his veggies. He will only eat asparagus if nothing else is available. So, while President Obama is working to fix our country, let's work to help him discover new ways to enjoy his asparagus.

So stand up and do your part! Enter your favorite asparagus recipe for everything from appetizers to salads, side dishes and main entrees. Winning recipes from eight regions of the country will be sent to the White House Chef, as well as showcased on RegionalBest.com and publicized nationwide. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 worth of farmer and artisan produced foods from RegionalBest.com such as California olive oil, Texas Guajillo honey, Idaho organic lamb, Vermont maple syrup and artisan cheese, Michigan herb chocolate truffles, and New England baklava.

For contest details please visit www.regionalbest.com.

Do you own a lot of purses? Pocketbooks? Handbags? Clutches? Whatever you want to call them many of us have more than we actually use. But, I am an accessory gal (shoes, jewelry, purses) I love ‘em all. But, keeping them organized can be a challenge. Here are some ideas for keeping your purses from taking over when you aren’t using them.

• There are over the door purse holders available now. You can purchase them through catalogs, online and at some major retailers. I have one and do use it for purses I frequently use (yes, I am one of those that changes purses like I change my underwear- frequently) My only reservation is that if you have as many purses as I do you would need to use every door in the house to hold all the purses.

• If you have extra room in a closet or armoire, you can buy some shower curtain hooks and hang purses from those in the closet.

• Use large, clear bins to store purses. I recommend clear so that you know which purse is in which bin.

• Adjustable shelves can turn your purses into a work of art on a wall in a spare bedroom or office.

A few tips for taking care of your purses while they are being stored:

Remove everything from the purse- don’t leave old gum, cough drops, coins, etc. in the bottom of the purse. Take receipts out and file them if you need them for any reimbursement purposes and if not, pitch them/shred them. Empty wallets and store them separately. When you are storing purses, store them upright as much as possible so that they do not lose their shape.

A good accessory can make (or break) an outfit! Happy organizing


Melissa


Posted by Melissa of Multitasking Mama

Featured Weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

It seems there was some confusion about our contest rules and we, unfortunately, were unable to send the Hyland's basket out to the original winner as they were not located in the United States.

I feel very awful about this as one of my readers is now disappointed, but unfortunately rules are rules and I can't change those no matter how much I'd sometimes like to.

This is great news for everyone else who entered the Hyland's giveaway though, this means you got one more chance at the gift basket.

The winner is:

Jennem


Congratulations, Jenn - I will be emailing you shortly to get your information.

My apologies, once again, to our original winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Time to announce some more lucky Pink Lemonade Winners!!








The winner of the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter: Stories about the Special Bond between Mothers and Daughters is:


Tawnda










The winner of the Secret Garden Teapot from Royal Tart is:


Janetfaye from Lucky Giveaways




Congratulations winners! I will be contacting you shortly for your winning information! New giveaways happen all the time, keep entering for your chance to win!




Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Don't you just love all the great bottled juices and smoothies at the market? The choices seem to be endless - you can get juices, pomegranate for your heart, blueberries for overall health, blends of red berries, veggies juices that taste like fruit juices. Then there are the smoothies - with additives for every need, energy, power, immunity - the juice and smoothie section at my local Whole Foods is bigger than the milk section! It seems that most of the "new" bottled juices and smoothies are just a re-work or something that's already out there. Until now...

Zola is an amazing line of juices and smoothies made from the Brazillian Acai berry. The acai berry is an exotic berry grown in the Amazon rainforest. It has 60% more antioxidants than pomegranates and 500% more than blueberries!

Sure, you've heard lots about Acai berries and their weight loss properties, but Zola is about something else... Health. Zola juices are packed with antioxidants, rich in omega fatty acids and are naturally energizing.

I recently got a chance to interview Chris Cuvelier, Founder and President of Zola to ask him a few questions about the products. Here's our interview:

Liz:

How did you discover the Acai berry and it's benefits?

Chris:

As a consultant to the juice and smoothie industry for 10 years, I had sampled fruits from all over the world but had never found anything quite like açaí. After trying it, I decided to go to Brazil and sample it from the source. After my first trip, I was hooked! Açaí berries are not only delicious, but contain antioxidant benefits and natural energy boosts that inspired me and my partners to create Zola – the world’s first açaí superfruit juice.

Liz:

What benefit does the Acai berry provide?

Chris:

Açaí has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties thanks to a high level of anthocyanins, pigments that are also present in red wine. Independent ORAC testing by Brunswick labs confirmed açaí to have 500% more antioxidants than blueberries and 60% more than pomegranates, and according to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) açaí has remarkable contents of several essential minerals – calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, showing that açaí is the true superfruit. Açaí also contains omegas 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids.

Liz:

Is Brazil the only place Acai berries are found?

Chris:

Mainly in Brazil, but they are found in other parts of the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon has specific growing conditions that are essential for the açaí berry to grow.

Liz:

What makes Zola different from other bottles smoothies that contain Acai berries?

Chris:

A couple of things. First, Zola not only contains the powerful açaí berry, but we also blend in other Brazilian superfruits – fruits that not only taste great, but also naturally contain an exceptional amount of nutrients. Some of the other fruits we use in our smoothies that you won’t find in any other commonly available smoothies are Cupuaçu, Graviola and Caja Fruit. And Second, Zola only uses the highest grade of açaí pulp, açaí especial, in all of our juices and smoothies. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has formalized an age-old Amazon wisdom (the thicker the açaí pulp, the more nutrients it contains) by defining the grade of açaí according to the amount of açaí fruit pulp it contains: Açai “popular” (lower grade) must contain at least 8% pulp, açaí “medio” (middle grade) at least 11% pulp and açaí “especial” (special grade) a minimum of 14% pulp.

Liz:

I've seen Acai berries in both the frozen food section of my supermarket and in other juice beverages, why are the Acai berries in Zola better for me?

Chris:

Well, you won’t see the actually açaí berry anywhere outside of the Amazon and close surrounding regions. The açaí berry is so delicate that it needs to be harvested, processed and frozen within 72 hours of harvest or it could lose up to 90% of its nutrients. Because of this, Zola controls our supply from tree to bottle to ensure that we uphold the strictest and safest handling practices. We can’t speak to all other açaí products available, but we can tell you that all Zola products contain the highest grade of açaí available, açaí especial, and we control supply from tree to bottle to ensure the highest quality and nutrients possible.

Liz:

I've seen many claims that Acai berries provide energy - are they a safe alternative for those of us that are sensitive to caffeine or restricted from it for medical reasons?

Chris:

The energy that you get form a bottle of Zola Açaí Superfruit Juice comes from the authentic Brazilian recipe that we follow – we add a touch of organic Guaraná seed to the juice for sustained energy. Each serving of Zola Superfruit juice contains 24mg (about the amount found in a cup of green tea). It is a source of caffeine, but the caffeine from the organic Guaraná seed is released slowly; therefore, it provides sustained energy and not a high and low.

Liz:

I've noticed some of your smoothies are organic, but some are not - why aren't the all organic?

Chris:

All of our smoothies are 70% organic. Because we are using such cutting edge Brazilian Superfruits in our blends, they are not yet recognized by the USDA to be organic, although they are all grown pesticide-free. We are working through that right now and hope to obtain certifications soon.

Liz:

Your company gives back to it's communities in Brazil, explain how Zola is helping.

Chris:

At Zola, social responsibility is a huge focus – we wanted to create programs that would give back to the communities from which we are harvesting our fruits. We created a unique program, Project Zola to empower the people in local communities through partnership and sustainability. Project Zola generates financial and educational support which is directed to the local communities that produce and harvest Zola’s açaí. Project Zola focuses on building community infrastructure, improving quality of life and protecting the environment with specific and tangible goals in a 100% transparent environment. Zola promotes sales of Amazonian Project Zola products that are sold with the support of Zola’s retail partners in North America, which not only generates financial support but also creates a sense of pride for the local people. In fact, Zola was able to completely fund Escola Acaimu in 2007 and will continue to support such as this in the future. Zola is also a huge proponent of sustainable farming and works only with partners who are aligned in this commitment.

In case you'd like to learn even more about Zola, here'a a video to give you a better feel for Chris and his company, including PROJECT ZOLA:


We have an assortment of these yummy juices and smoothies for one lucky reader!

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Pop on over to Zola and explore their website - then come back and leave us a comment. Let us know which you think your favorite flavor might be or why you thing Zola is a great company.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name) - if the twitter link isn't working - it is a twitter problem, not our link so please keep trying!

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you. If you are already a subscriber, leave me a comment and let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends Sunday, May 3rd at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Against the Odds

It was the summer of 1942. I was nineteen years old and a signalman third class on the USS Astoria stationed in the South Pacific.

One hot night in August, we found ourselves skirmishing with the Japanese for control of Guadalcanal, gearing up for the bloody battle that soon followed. At midnight, I finished my duty on watch. Still wearing my work detail uniform of dungarees and a T-shirt, and only pausing long enough to unstrap my standard-issue life belt and lay it beside me, I fell into an exhausted sleep.

Two hours later, I was awakened abruptly by the sound of an explosion. I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding. Without thinking, I grabbed my life belt and strapped it on. In the ensuing chaos, I focused on dodging the rain of enemy shells that were inflicting death and destruction all around me. I took some shrapnel in my right shoulder and leg, but by some miracle, I avoided being killed.

That first battle of Savo Island lasted for twenty minutes. After the enemy fire ceased, the men left standing helped with the wounded, while others manned the guns.

I was making my way toward a gun turret when suddenly, the deck disappeared. My legs windmilled beneath me as I realized that an explosion had blasted me off the deck. My shock was immediately replaced by a stomach-clenching fear as I fell like a stone — thirty feet into the dark, shark-infested water below.

I immediately inflated my life belt, weak with relief that I’d somehow remembered to put it on. I noticed between ten and thirty men bobbing in the water in the area, but we were too far away from each other to communicate.

I began treading water, trying to stay calm as I felt things brushing against my legs, knowing that if a shark attacked me, any moment could be my last. And the sharks weren’t the only danger: The powerful current threatened to sweep me out to sea.

Four agonizing hours passed this way. It was getting light when I saw a ship — an American destroyer — approaching. The sailors on board threw me a line and hauled me aboard.

Once on the ship, my legs buckled and I slid to the deck, unable to stand. I was fed and allowed to rest briefly. Then I was transported back to the Astoria, which, though disabled, was still afl oat. The captain was attempting to beach the ship in order to make the necessary repairs.

Back on board the Astoria, I spent the next six hours preparing the dead for burial at sea. As the hours passed, it became clear our vessel was damaged beyond help. The ship was taking on water and finally, around twelve hundred hours, the Astoria began to roll and go under.

The last thing I wanted to do was to go into that water again, but I knew I had to. Filled with dread, I jumped off the high side of the sinking ship and began swimming. Although I still had my life belt on, it couldn’t be inflated a second time. Luckily, I was soon picked up by another destroyer and transferred to the USS Jackson.

Against all the odds, I had made it — one of the lucky men to survive the battle of Savo Island. We were issued Marine uniforms, and I spent my time, in between visits to the ship’s doctors for treatment of my wounds, sitting on the deck of the Jackson, waiting for our transport to San Francisco’s Treasure Island and the leave that would follow.

Though it felt odd to wear the unfamiliar uniform, I wasn’t sad to lose my old dungarees and T-shirt. The one thing I found I didn’t want to give up was my life belt. I hung on to the khaki cloth-covered rubber belt, studying it sometimes as I sat around on the Marine ship.

The label on the belt said it had been manufactured by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, which was my hometown. I decided to keep the belt as a souvenir, a reminder of how lucky I’d been.

When I finally took my thirty-day leave, I went home to my family in Ohio. After a quietly emotional welcome, I sat with my mother in our kitchen, telling her about my recent ordeal and hearing what had happened at home since I went away. My mother informed me that “to do her part,” she had taken a wartime job at the Firestone plant. Surprised, I jumped up and grabbed my life belt from my duffel bag, putting it on the table in front of her.

“Take a look at that, Mom,” I said. “It was made right here in Akron at your plant.” She leaned forward and, taking the rubber belt in her hands, she read the label. She had just heard the story and knew that in the darkness of that terrible night, it was this one piece of rubber that had saved my life. When she looked up at me, her mouth and her eyes were open wide with surprise. “Son, I’m an inspector at Firestone. This is my inspector number,” she said, her voice hardly above a whisper.

We stared at each other, too stunned to speak. Then I stood up, walked around the table and pulled her up from her chair. We held each other in a tight embrace, saying nothing. My mother was not a demonstrative woman, but the significance of this amazing coincidence overcame her usual reserve. We hugged each other for a long, long time, feeling the bond between us. My mother had put her arms halfway around the world to save me.


~Elgin Staples
Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have one copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms & Sons: Stories by Mothers and Sons, in Appreciation of Each Other to give away.

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

Please note: Your email address MUST either be in your comment or available on your blogger profile or your entry will NOT count!! **

* Leave us a comment on any post here at Pink Lemonade (be sure to comment on this post & let us know where you commented).

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name).

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you. If you are already a subscriber, leave me a comment and let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends Thursday, April 30th at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

It's true! Especially when your vacation takes you to Kissimmee, Florida.

The things you can experience during your Kissimmee vacation are endless. Do you love adventure? Take a ride skimming across Lake Toho on an airboat or try Florida Eco Safaris at Forever Florida’s new Zip-line Safari. It lets those who crave an adrenaline rush soar above the treetops and get a bird’s-eye view of Kissimmee’s wilderness. Not that adventurous? Let the kids learn a thing or two while they're having fun, check out Osceola County Historical Society and Pioneer Museum, where you can experience what it was like to live in an authentic 1898 "Cracker House," shop for your provisions in a 1900s general store, and work in a blacksmith shop and sugar cane mill. Maybe you'd rather try something more luxurious? Let yourself be pampered at Canyon Ranch SpaClub® or take a private golf lesson with a PGA pro. When the sun sets, treat yourself to a dinner exquisitely prepared cuisine where you are served on china dishes and vintage wine is poured into sparkling crystal goblets.

And of course, we can't forget that Kissimmee is home to three world-class amusement parks, Universal Orlando, Sea World and the Legendary Walt Disney World.

So whether you're in the mood to zip across a canyon, spend some time shopping and exploring or spend some time with a famous mouse, Kissimmee is the place to start when planning your summer vacation.

Luckily, Kissimmee is giving away three (3) weekend getaways (3 days/2 nights) for two (2); and two (2) weeklong vacations for four (4). Drawings will be held on or around 4/1/09, 5/1/09 and 6/1/09. The best vacations are free! So enter the sweepstakes today!

Kate Voegele has revealed some new details about the upcoming music video for her single "99 Times." The video will feature Kate alongside the reigning Dancing With The Stars' champ, Derek Hough. The clip will be shot in Los Angeles with director Frank Borin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem).

Kate premiered another song off of her forthcoming album, A Fine Mess, on One Tree Hill called "Angel." Head over to iTunes to grab the track today, and listen to a clip on her MySpace page.

I'm a bit behind at announcing contest winners - so I'm going to get caught up right now!







The winner of the Being Dad DVD is:

Lilly K.




(unfortunately, the winner - #16 was bndraldy, but their blogger profile was not public so I did not have access to an email - sorry bndraldy, be sure to make your profile public or leave your email next time)



The winner of the focal bead from Sortaflowering Designs is:


EllyBean





The winner of the case of Pitter Patties is:


Lisa





The winner of the gift basket from Hyland's is:

Kathryn




(Once again, sorry denyse - but your blogger profile dosen't have an email and you didn't leave one).

Congratulations to all of our winners! You should have already received an email requesting your information so we can get your prizes to you.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

- Christine


Posted by Christine of Random Thoughts With Chris

Featured weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

Demanding and time-consuming, Motherhood offers little time to take care of oneself. Intersperse the responsibilities of work and a child’s after-school activities and at the end of the day, Mom isn’t left with much time or energy to fit exercise into the daily schedule.

Authors, Monica Bearden and Shara Aaron, Registered Dietitians, Aerobic instructors and new moms themselves, offer tips on how to add “crunch” time to daily activities.

Ideas on ways to become more active include:

• Gym Memberships – Or Not…

- Brown bag it and use the money saved to pay for a gym membership. Working moms can exercise at lunch and forgo costly, calorie-laden take-out. For example, saving just $3.00 a day adds up to $90.00 a month – that’s enough for a gym membership with a little extra left over.

- Gather up your gal pals and get those strollers moving in your neighborhood or nearby park. Besides dropping inches you get the bonus of connecting with nature, your children and friends.

• Play With Your Children

- Freeze tag, hide and seek and jump rope are still cool – find your inner child and burn up to 100 calories in 10 minutes while playing with your kids.

- Show the kids some new moves and dance together to their favorite music - just half an hour of b-bopping can burn 185 calories.

In the book, The Baby Fat Diet by authors Monica Bearden and Shara Aaron, moms learn that small changes can make a big difference. Weight loss and good health doesn’t require a total makeover. Restrictive dieting and cutting out all favorite foods isn’t necessary. This book offers simple, easy-to-live-by health and nutrition tips that help women change the set behaviors that make losing weight so difficult. Committing to exercise and looking for activities and movement that work with life as a mom make for a happy, healthy family. Inside the book, moms will find information on ways to get up and get moving:

About the Authors:

Monica Bearden, R.D., is a food enthusiast who believes that healthy living should always include delighting the palate with a rich piece of chocolate. Monica is a registered dietitian and fitness instructor and has helped countless women lose weight . In addition, Monica is co-owner of NutCom, LLC, a nutrition communications company, where she assists major food companies in developing healthier food for the public, works with the media as a nutrition and wellness expert, and writes health- and nutrition-related educational materials on the food industry’s behalf. She is also co-author of the award winning book, Chocolate – A Healthy Passion and writes health-related articles for parenting magazines and for professional publications such as the Journal of the American Dietetic Association; the American Journal of Medicine and Sports; the American Chemical Society; Today’s Dietitian; and the ADA Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition newsletter. She graduated from the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at the University of Texas at Austin, where she was accepted into the Undergraduate Honors Research Program and was the recipient of a Research Fellowship and the Outstanding Nutrition Scholar award. Bearden lives in Tomball TX.
Shara Aaron, M.S., R.D., lives what she preaches: eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly can help you get the most out of life. She began her career as nutrition and health editor for Family Circle magazine. She was also a manager of nutrition communications at a major food company, where she served, among other things, as a company nutrition media spokesperson. She is now the co-owner of NutCom, LLC, a nutrition communications consulting company, and continues to privately counsel patients on weight loss and teach fitness classes as a certified aerobics instructor. Shara is co-author of the award winning book, Chocolate – A Healthy Passion, has published articles in Family Circle, Parents, and American Baby magazines. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MS in nutrition communications from the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University. She completed her dietetic education at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Aaron lives in Yardley PA.

We have one copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader!

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

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* Leave us a comment on any post here at Pink Lemonade (be sure to comment on this post & let us know where you commented).

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There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends Tuesday, April 28th at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Given the state of the economy, moms are looking for ways to save money on their everyday household expenses, a major one being food. Unfortunately, at the same time, demand at food banks is up 30 percent with one in eight Americans struggling with hunger.

To help remedy this, the Grain Foods Foundation teamed up with Feeding America to create the Bread Art Project, a website where you can create pieces of digital bread art and for each piece created, the Grain Foods Foundation will donate $1 to Feeding America– that $1 equals seven meals, 10 pounds of food, or four bags of groceries for those in need.

More than 15,000 slices have been created so far but theye need your help to get to their goal of 50,000 slices. Please check out the site at www.gowiththegrain.org and create some bread art. It’s for a great cause and it’s fun too!

In honor of Earth Day, Ingrid & Isabel is going GREEN. It starts with their very new BellaBand Organic, made of organic cotton and packaged in recycled paper. They invite you to visit their website to learn about BellaBand Organic, why they went Organic, and why Organic Cotton is important for our planet.

And the green continues...literally. Visit www.ingridandisabel.com to see their home page “go green” with their signature dotted cotton plant illustration, also printed on the new BellaBand Organic packaging.

While you’re on the site, be sure to check out their new Favorites page as well.

New Musical Theater Summer Intensive Program for Teens

Led by Broadway Veterans, Including Tony Award-Nominated Actress

NEW YORK, NY (2009) - Young people who aspire to the Broadway spotlight, or perhaps just to land a solid role in their high school musicals, will have the opportunity to hone their singing, dancing and acting skills in a new musical theater summer intensive program directed by Tony Award-nominated actress Catherine Cox and Broadway veteran Darrin Baker.

Two one-week Broadway Triple Threat intensives for ages 13 - 18 will be offered July 6 – 10 and July 13 – 17 at the new Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, a state-of-the-art studio and theater complex on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Ms. Cox, who received a Tony nomination for Oh Coward and had leading roles on Broadway in Footloose, Baby, Barnum, Rumors and Oklahoma, presently teaches at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, Stagedoor Manor, and Queens College. Her co-artistic director is Darrin Baker, a longtime Broadway, film and television actor. The composer David Evans, who is currently the associate conductor of Wicked on Broadway is the musical supervisor.

The program is designed to be more interdisciplinary than most musical theater intensives, says Ms. Cox. She and Mr. Baker share the belief that performers must focus on process, continually asking themselves, “What am I trying to accomplish through the combination of singing and dancing with acting?’”

“Singers and dancers often get overly involved in their technique, and they forget to tell the story,” Ms. Cox says. “You must never forget to tell the story.”

“The program really celebrates the process of creating a scene from a song,” says Mr. Baker,

who has taught at New York University’s Cap 21 Program, and whose credits include leading roles in Broadway’s Tarzan, Wonderful Town, and Laughing Room Only.

Ms. Cox and Mr. Baker are backed by a star-studded line-up of talented actors, singers, choreographers and other industry professionals representing shows such as Wicked, Spring Awakening, Jersey Boys, Rent, and Nine to Five. They will provide not only excellent instruction in the “triple threat” disciplines of singing, dancing and acting, but also insiders’ perspectives on the New York musical theater world.

“Students will be learning from people who are working today in the musical theater business,” says Mr. Baker. “These performers are able to bring all of the most current, relevant information and advice to our students.”’

The inspiration for Broadway Triple Threat evolved from Mr. Baker’s and Ms. Cox’s work together a decade ago in the Broadway production of Footloose. They were drawn to one another’s energy and vowed that they would work together again.

“We both remember being incredibly impressed with the discipline of the young dancers,” says Ms. Cox. “If we could harness that discipline and apply it to singing and acting, that would make any performer the ultimate ‘triple threat.’ “

The program’s daily schedule, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., includes intensive classes in vocal technique, dance (jazz, tap or hip-hop), acting with emphasis on musical theater performance, and afternoon Q&A’s and/or master classes with leading Broadway professionals. Each weeklong session will conclude with an informal presentation celebrating the week’s accomplishments for participants’ families and friends.

The program’s location at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center places students within easy reach of both the Broadway theater district and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets to a Broadway show are included in the tuition, which is $1150. Complete program information, including sample daily class schedule: www.manhattanmovement.com/triplethreat.

In addition, please check the Broadway Triple Threat NYC page on Facebook.

~~ About Manhattan Movement & Arts Center:

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, located on the Upper West Side just south of Lincoln Center, comprises 18,000 square feet of obstruction-free dance studios and a state-of-the-art, 160-seat theater. MMAC is the home of the Manhattan Youth Ballet pre-professional academy and performance company, which was founded in 1994 as Studio Maestro by Rose Caiola. MMAC also offers a full schedule of adult open dance and fitness classes for all levels and a comprehensive children’s program, and has become a popular rental venue for auditions, rehearsals and special events. Broadway Triple Threat is one of several summer programs introduced by MMAC to encourage creativity and artistry in young people. Additional information: www.manhattanmovement.com and www.manhattanyouthballet.org.

Check out these great pics of Kristen Bell in NYC carrying Kooba’s Dale bag:

Kleenex's "What a Feeling" marketing is well-deserving of derision. Kimberly-Clark, the largest tissue product company in the world and the makers of Kleenex, has not used its large industry influence to show the way on how to be greener. Instead, it continues to make products from ancient forests that are used once and then thrown away. Kleenex contains no recycled content.

Consumers can make better choices than to buy Kleenex. Greenpeace’s Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide, a credit card-sized shopping guide, helps consumers find the greenest household paper products. In the guide, Greenpeace gives a thumbs up to companies Green Forest, Natural Value and Seventh Generation, while recommending that shoppers avoid products made from Charmin, Angel Soft and Kimberly–Clark, the manufacturer of the popular Kleenex brand of tissue products, toilet paper, facial tissue and napkins.

Greenpeace recommended products meet three important environmental benchmarks: they are made from 100 percent recycled content, a minimum of which is 50 percent post-consumer recycled content; and are not bleached with chlorine or toxic chlorine compounds. The guide rates facial tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, and paper napkins.

Greenpeace gave an ”Avoid” rating to all of Kimberly-Clark product lines (Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, and Viva).

The full Greenpeace Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper guide can be found at www.greenpeace.org/tissueguide.




The opnions expressed in this article are those of Greenpeace - they are not necessarily those of Pink Lemonade or it's sponsors.