New Years Eve!
Oh how I love New Year’s Eve! We usually try to have some good friends around, yummy treats to eat, and just a super great time. We don’t often venture out of our neighborhood – its just nice to stay at home. My parents are celebrating their anniversary tonight with a few of their friend from their gourmet club. They will be cooking up some lobster for the special occasion. I am going a little less “glam” with my get together. A few Stromboli’s, some other great munchies, and of course a rockin Sing Star smack down! I have been reading a lot lately about Raclette Parties and would love to get my hands on one to try out. Similar to fondue (which we made for Christmas Eve) but slightly different. Raclette is a type of cheese from Switzerland that is prepared with vegetables on a special raclette grill. Each guest uses their own little pan to melt their raclette with the toppings of their choice. Toppings can be many things – some common toppings include gherkins, onions, potatoes, or dried meats. It sounds like a fun interactive group meal! How do you celebrate the New Year?
I’m still here!
I am still trying to wake up from my Christmas Coma! With the whole family at home and a long vacation from work…its really hard to stay in the groove. Oh yeah…I also found this game super addicting. I promise to be a good blogger next week with lots of goodies for you! I am also working on a really great segment for Radio Thursday.
Christmas at KatyShops – Part 1 Electronics
I hope everyone had a super wonderful Christmas. The KatyShops house was in hog heaven with all of our new perfumes, outfits, electronics, and good old fashioned board games. We were so blessed and fortunate…we love everything we received! Here are a few of our electronic favorites:
- Buzz! Game for PS2 – This is an awesome trivia game for the ps2. It comes with 4 buzzers (just like a real game show). The questions are varied in subject and difficulty. From TV to science…you never know! I love a game that kids and adults can play together. Our family has really enjoyed playing this game together.
- Vidster – Santa gave Riley a Vidster! This is a really neat toy (if you can even call it a toy). She can take either Video or Pictures with this nifty little camera and download them to her computer. Thats where the fun begins…editing and creating movies. She can email the videos, put them on a dvd, or play them right on the TV. She has become quite the Scorsese!
- Ipod Nano – Maddie received the new Ipod Nano. I know…unless you live under a huge rock you have heard all about this newest Apple product. Have you seen the picture on one of these? I was so impressed! She downloaded some videos, movies, and a few episodes of Gossip Girls. This tiny little screen is amazing. The picture is super crisp and clear…almost like Hi-Def…only mini. What a cool little contraption!
- Garmin Forerunner 305 – Wow. Really. Wow! Mike gave me this amazing gadget to make my running super high tech. How do they make something that small do so many cool things? I used it yesterday and am hooked. While I was running it showed how long I was running, how far I was running, and what my pace was. It even beeped at me when my pace dipped below a time that I set up. It was so easy to use, grabbed satellites with amazing speed, and graphed my entire run…genius! It even told me how many calories I burned! Thank you Mike…I love it!
- Sing Star 80′s – I knew I would have no problem belting out Tainted Love by Soft Cell. The real surprise came Christmas Night when my neighbor Justin and I rocked out an amazing version of Run DMC’s It’s Tricky! We impressed ourselves with our off the hook rapping skills. We plan on using this as our secret weapon for a New Year’s Eve sing off!! Everybody knows what a HUGE fan I am of all of the SingStar games…this one brings me right back to Geneva High School…circa 1986 with songs like 99 Red Balloons , Rio by Duran Duran (I love you Simon), and the ever popular (and creepy) Do you really want to hurt me by Culture Club. My girls were watching the video while we were singing it and at the end asked us if he was a boy or a girl. Funny!
Keep Calm and Carry On.
Always a good mantra to live by. Especially this time of year. If you need to be reminded get the poster…
Stay calm!
And the winners are….
Thank you to everyone for the super nice comments. You guys made my day yesterday! I wish I could give everyone a present. The girls picked their winners this morning…
- Kristi
- Michelle
- Monica
- Gina
- Kristine
I have contacted the winners via email. I had a blast with this contest and am certainly going to have another one soon. Thanks again for being faithful viewers!
Katy
Become Beauty…our gift to you.
I was introduced to Become Beauty a few months ago. I am hooked! Not only are the products amazing, the company is too. You can purchase Become Beauty online or from one of the many consultants across the world. You can even host a Become Beauty party and try out their wonderful product line while earning free product for yourself. Become is from Australia …with all of that sunshine they know how to fight aging. Their products really do what they say! This is a professional grade skincare line for a very “everyday” price. My ultimate favorite Become Beauty product is the Lip Treatment. This little bottle of treatment packs a lot of punch! Simply apply a tiny bit on your lips and immediately you will start to feel a tingly sensation. What you are feeling is the treatment starting to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on and around your lips. It is not harsh at all, you can use it morning & night if you want. I love Become Beauty Lip Treatment! Become Beauty love you…they want to give 5 KatyShops viewers a full-size tube of their Lip Treatment as a special gift! This is a $19 present that 5 lucky viewers will win. To win your very own Lip Treatment from Become Beauty just enter a comment on this post by midnight tonight. To make it fair, Madison & Riley will be choosing via a random drawing the 5 winners. I will announce the winners tomorrow. Good Luck!
I want to share a few more of my Become Beauty favorites…
The Hand Smoothing Complex is a one-step hand exfoliator and moisturizer. Rub this amazing smelling scrub on your hands and they will feel like silk immediately. Made from peppermint, orange oil and sea salt – it feels great while you are scrubbing, smells wonderful, and feels like heaven when you are finished. You won’t believe how soft your hands are! Want a real treat? Use it on your feet….ahhhh….pure bliss!
The Hydration Serum has saved my face this winter. With all of my training I often take multiple showers each day. That can leave my face really dry. I use the Hydration Serum to improve moisture retention in my skin. The perfect savior to dry winter weather!
Good luck…I hope you win!
Its too late for internet orders…
With only a few days until Christmas you have officially passed the deadline for ordering online (unless you want to triple the price of your gift and ship it one day). Don’t fret…I still have some tricks up my sleeve…..
- Contigo Mug – I am in love with the Contigo Auto Seal Mugs! You simply press a button to sip, and release it to seal. This will not leak or spill at all. It also fits nicely in virtually all car cup holders. You can find these mugs at your local Target starting at $13.49. They are on sale this week! These are great looking, super engineered, affordable travel mugs. What a great gift idea for a teacher, bus driver, or any java junkie!
- Table Topics - Conversation starters. I love these boxes of questions. Our family loves to take turns answering these thought provoking cards. The cubes contain cards in one of 8 themed boxes. I love the Girls Night Out box….it can get pretty funny when paired with a glass of wine! You can also choose from Original, Family, Teen, Couples, Spirit, Book Club, and Gourmet. Each box retails for $25.00. They come in an acrylic cube that looks great on your coffee table. The Topics To Go are great for stocking stuffers. Each $9.00 Box is a mini travel version of the original cubes. Why not pack the Kids box away in your glove box. You might just learn something about your kids at the next stoplight. My favorite product from this line is the Journal Topics. Did you ever want to keep a journal but didn’t quite know what to write about? Each page has a starter question at the top. Genius! At only $12 each you will create memories worth millions. You can search for a store in your area here. You can input your zip code and find the nearest location. Many Hallmark Gold stores nationwide carry them. Locally you can visit Casabella to pick up a set.
- Bodum Chocolate Jug - Make your chocolate milk the best that it can be! The Bodum Hot Chocolate Jug has unique blender qualities. You will get perfectly blended chocolate milk with a touch of froth on the top. The jug can be stored in the refrigerator for ice cold chocolate milk anytime. Kids will have a blast spinning the stirring rod to mix up their own chocolate milk. What a fun and useful gift for $29.95. I found these at World Market the other day.
- Cappuccino Mug Set by Design Room - I love this adorable set of little cappuccino mugs. Each mug is perfectly sized for a cup of coffee or Espresso from a Senseo machine. They nestle in a cool metal steel caddy. Beauty and function working together again! Locally these are available at Heliotrope Home in Decatur. Each set retails for $32.00. How cute would these look on your counter top (I mean…your recipients counter top)?
- Chuck-it - Don’t forget your favorite furry friends! My Lab Cindy received a chuck-it for Christmas and not only does she looove it…we do too! The Chuck-It is a tennis ball launcher that allows the person throwing the ball to easily pick up the ball without touching it. Have you ever picked up a tennis ball after it has been in a Lab’s mouth? Gross. I can’t tell you how happy my family & friends are now that we own the Chuck-It. You can choose from the original Chuck-It or many other options including a mini Chuck-It…might be nice for Winnie. The Ultra Chuck-It balls are so much better than a traditional tennis ball…they bounce, are easily wiped clean, and last forever. Don’t tell Cindy but this year she is getting the flying squirrel. A fun little squirrel shaped disc that flies through the air just like the critters in our backyard. You can find all of these products at many pet stores as well as at your local Wal Mart.
- Shemergency Survival Kit - The perfect gift for your Best Girlfriend! This little zippered bag packs a lot of punch. Inside you will find everything needed to conquer every emergency. Hair brush, mirror, hair spray, hair elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail clippers, emery boards, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, sewing kit, double-sided tape, safety pin, lint remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, lip balm, dental floss, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, tampon, bandages, and tissues. Whooh. They thought of everything. Did I mention that it comes in a super cute silver bag? I can’t tell you how many times I have saved the day (or night) by pulling out my Shemergency Kit. I keep mine in my car…I am always prepared! Give this gift to someone and they will think of you every time they use it. This great little gift is only $20. You can find it locally at:
Entebello, LLC - Atlanta 404-477-2933 Lola's Boutique, Alpharetta 770-649-0649 Chickweeds - Norcross 770-582-0820 Whatever! - Evans 706-228-3626 Simply Southern - Eatonton 706-343-1001
Wednesday is for free…
Are you tuckered out from running all over town to load up on free batteries at CVS? Here are a few freebies that you can get in the comfort of your own home…
Free Senseo Tea Pods. Enter Code 8288-8781588. Do you have a Senseo Coffee Maker yet? Get one free ($15 S&H) along with coffee and a pod storage container at Senseo. I have owned one of these systems for years now and I would never go back to a traditional coffee maker! I love it.
Free Coke Zero Sample…you can sue them for “taste confusion”. File your claim today.
Free Leaf Painting. ??
Free Christmas song downloads from top artists.
I know the freebies this week are bleak…but don’t forget about the free batteries I told you about yesterday. To make it up to you I am going to be giving away a special Christmas present to 5 of my viewers on Friday. This is a special Christmas gift from KatyShops & Become Beauty….I will share the details soon….
Tune into radio Thursday tomorrow on KICKS 101.5 – I am going to be sharing some last minute gift ideas that you can buy in a brick & mortar store! Face it, you have waited to long to use the internet for gifts….
One week to go…stock up on batteries!
I know everyone has been busy shopping, wrapping & baking. Did you remember to get batteries? Mike usually runs out on Christmas Eve to get us all stocked up…not this year. Right now CVS has Energizer Max batteries on sale for $5.29 – each packet of batteries has a $1.00 off coupon on the front of the package. Now they are $4.29. Click here to print out a $5.00 off coupon for Energizer Max battery packages. Now you have just made 71 cents. They won’t actually give you the change…just pick out some gum or something. The coupon is good until 12/23. You have to have a CVS care card to use the coupon. I signed up for one online – just let the cashier know that you signed up for one and she can use your phone number at check out instead of your Care Card number. I have been carrying these coupons with me, every time I drive past a CVS I swing in and pick up two packages of batteries (and a few packs of Orbit). Make sure you stock up!
