Amazing.
The most amazing laptop bag arrived on my doorstep this weekend. It is awesome. Really, really awesome. Functional? Yes. Stylish? Yes. Perfect? Yes. Laurex sent it to me to review. I knew I loved this bag as soon as I opened the box. It is a dark red (kinda poppy color) messenger style bag with this really hip orangey floral design on the front. On initial inspection I was smitten with the appearance. It also has these really cool rubber feet on the bottom of it to keep it clean from the nasty floors I am bound to run into. The strap is fully adjustable and nice & wide. It has this comfy little padded thingy on the top to protect my girlish shoulders. I loved the looks right away and you know that nobody wants to look like a dork hauling around their office. The best part was when I opened the bag up. The organizational Gods definitely played a part in designing this bag. Pockets, pockets, and more pockets. Pockets for pens, zippy big pockets & zippy small pockets, hidden pockets, outside pockets & inside pockets. Seriously, 10 pockets & 2 pen/pencil pockets. That is a lot of pockets – and I will use each & everyone of them! The best pocket of all is the one that hold my 17″ baby – my laptop. It is padded on each side of the laptop and even has a velcro strap to make sure that it stays put. The section that actually holds the bag even comes out…so you can use it as a small sleeve if you don’t need all of your things. Oh yeah, the bag is waterproof too. Nothing will happen to my laptop while I am on the road. Thanks to Laurex I will always be able to write my trusty blog for you…through sleet, snow, rain and visits to my in-laws…my blog will be delivered. Do you take your office on the road? Do you haul your laptop around daily? Please remember to always look stylish & to keep your valuable laptop protected. I love, love, love my Laurex bag. They have a ton of styles & sizes to choose from. Slim little sleeves suit you better? They have it! Like to carry everything on your back? Their backpacks are your answer. Go look around, they are awesome! Function & style…you know how I love that combination.
Disclaimer: Laurex Creations INC provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review. Lucky for me..and them…I loved the product. Bunches.
Help For Haiti.
Wow. What can I say? My heart & prayers go out to the people of Haiti…I can’t stop thinking about them. My family & myself were just in this beautiful country 6 months ago…I can’t even imagine what it looks like today. Like so many others, I want to help them anyway that I can. But you have to donate carefully…unfortunately it is during these times that some people will take advantage of you. Be careful who you donate to! I don’t want to scare you from donating so I have researched the best ways to donate to help Haiti. The following is a list of the highest rated charities that are collecting on behalf of Haiti. You can even text the Red Cross to donate – how easy is that?
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross’ primary focus during the initial response of an emergency is feeding, sheltering and supplying any other basic needs. To donate: Go to RedCross.org, hit donate now button at top and then International Response Fund. You also can text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the International Response Fund. The money will go directly to relief efforts in Haiti. Or call 
1-800-Red-Cross
.
AmeriCares
This nonprofit disaster relief organization delivers medicine, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world. To donate, go to AmeriCares.org. Donations will go toward medicine and medical supplies and for expenses for providing that medical aid.
Care
This humanitarian organization’s main focus is to fight global poverty, specifically by empowering marginalized women and girls. To donate to the Haiti relief fund effort, go to Care.org . Money will go toward food, water and sanitation, shelter and emergency health response.
Direct Relief International
Direct Relief provides medical attention to those in need on an ongoing basis and in emergencies. Monetary donations go toward medical aid, supplies and equipment in Haiti. To donate, go to directrelief.org.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity provides affordable, safe shelter for low-income families and people in need. Money donated for Haiti relief efforts will go toward recovery and rebuilding. To donate, go to habitat.org .
International Medical Corps
This emergency response agency focuses on health in emergency situations. Monetary donations go toward purchasing medical supplies, medicine and emergency kits and transporting these supplies. Go to imcworldwide.org
Medical Teams International
The Christian global health organization sends volunteer medical teams and supplies to those in the midst of disaster or poverty. Monetary donations will go to supporting the medical teams being sent to Haiti and to the cost of shipping the medical supplies donated by corporations. Donate by going to medicalteams.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” button.
Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)
The humanitarian organization delivers medical care to people caught in crisis. Donations to its Haiti relief efforts will go toward repairing the obstetrics and trauma hospitals in Haiti that were damaged in the earthquake. They also will go to transporting an additional 70 doctors and medical supplies to the island in an effort to set up makeshift emergency medical response centers. To donate, go to doctorswithoutborders.org.
Save the Children
The independent organization focuses on children in need in the U.S. and globally through programs for health and nutrition, child protection and education. To donate, go to savethechildren.org. Donations will go toward purchasing relief items, such as hygiene kits, family kits (pots, pans, food preparation items) and tarps.
Do you have a favorite way to donate to those in need?
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Fake it cause you made it.
Do you look through catalogs and wish your house could look like the rooms in Pottery Barn? Love the simple shelves, headboards and tables from West Elm? Then reality hits as you see how much it would set you back to actually buy everything you lusted after in the catalogs. I found a great blog called Knock Off Wood. The writer Ana, creates patterns to copy all of the cool things that you see in the popular catalogs. She gives you detailed instructions, and an estimated cost of each project. She is not a trained carpenter, but is an extremely talented self taught DIYer. I really, really think that with her help we could all make something great for our house. Here are some of the knock offs that she offers…
A table from Crate & Barrel
Freebies
Free portrait calendar at Sears (no sitting fee),Advance copy of Simon & Schuster books - here & here, free Purex 3-in-1 sample, Become a Facebook fan of Einstein Bros and you will be able to print a coupon for a free bagel at Einstein Bros.
Lots of freebies at Recycle Bank...you get 100 points for signing up. They have many different products and magazine subscriptions available for 100 points. Here are some:
Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner
Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid
Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes
Greenworks Natural Cleaning Wipes
HappyBaby Baby Food
Month of BookSwim
Subscription to Esquire magazine
Good Housekeeping Magazine Subscription
Harper’s Bazaar Magazine Subscription
Marie Claire Magazine Subscription
Popular Mechanics Magazine Subscription
Redbook Magazine Subscription
Seventeen Magazine Subscription
Town & Country Magazine Subscription
Have you seen this?
I know we all have a ton of gadgets that need charged…and if you are like me, you have a ton of different cords laying around to charge your cell phones, ipods, gameboys, etc. Have you seen the new charging mats that have come out on the market? You simply set your device to be charged on the mat and it charges it. Easy, right? You have to buy the mat and then a power sleeve or attachment for each device. The set up could become expensive…but the benefits are awesome. The Duracell myGrid retails for $69.99 on amazon and the price for the power sleeves varies. They seem to run around $35. So, it would be expensive to start up. Has anyone purchased one of these, and if so, are you happy with it?
I’m off to the DMV…my oldest turns 15 today and is getting her learners permit!!! Look out!!! Happy Birthday Maddie!
Do you Groupon?
You probably already know about Groupon...or maybe some of you live under the same rock that I do. Groupon is a site that gives you one GREAT deal a day based on where you live. Usually it is a super great coupon for a restaurant or spa. It is free to sign up, and they don’t do anything funky (like sell) your email address. They just give you the opportunity to get in on one great deal a day. You let them know where you live and they pick the deal closest to you. Pretty cool, right? Most of the deals you have a long time before they expire. My deal for todayyesterday was half price menu prices at an awesome burger joint down the road. It doesn’t expire until July. It has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and more. So why don’t you give it a try…we can save money together.
Flat out awesome!
I have been busy trying to streamline my kitchen…you know, avoid having all of my Tupperware fall on my head when I open the cupboards! I found a few products that will help me out with this problem…
This collapsible salad spinner by Progressive will save lots of space! It smushes down to less than 3 inches! Available at Amazon or at your local Walmart.
My cheese grater takes up a ton of space in my cupboard…plus we have two of them. Yes we like cheese and have it often. This Fold Flat Grater would be awesome.
6 essential kitchen items all nest together in one neat little package. Genius.
Nothing worse than trying to close your utensil drawer only to have it jammed up by some big tool you only use every once in a while. The Prepara Flip Masher folds flat after use. Solving the big tool dilemma in your drawer.
4 measuring cups that stack, and then lay flat! All of your measuring cups could actually fit in your utensil drawer. Super cool.
Did you notice the green color of everything? I’m guessing that is the hot kitchen color right now. I like it!
Last of the best of….
Time to close out 2009. Here are the last of my favorites from last year….
In July I used these nifty little bags to take my yummy blueberry vodka on a cruise ship (shhhh…don’t tell)
August brought me this great little bag to take to the gym….
In September I tried (unsuccessfully) to win this amazing bike….
In October, I fell in love with ChalkInk. I’m still in love.
In November I found lots of goodies that I love at my Sister-in-Laws store. I especially love these rings…
I ordered my momAgenda Kitchen Folio and Daily Planner – it has been a joy starting out this new year with that kind of organization! Click on the picture to get 10% off of your order!
The first freebies of 2010
It feels weird to type 2010. I guess I will have to get used to it. Here are your freebies….
free Atkins quick start kit (includes 3 bars), Post-it Durable Tab sample, Slimfast peanut butter bar,free sample of Barbara’s Bakery cereal.
Do you have a Dunkin’ Donuts giftcard? If so, register it by February 7th and get $2 added to it. Or, go buy one and register it to add the two bucks to it for free!
Did you know that Williams-Sonoma offers free cooking classes and demonstrations? Here is the January calendar.
Two Aveda coupons to print out and take to your store….here and here
One more day…
I need one more day of Winter Break. I have been making my wreaths for next year (I will add the bow next year)
And working on the very hard puzzle…look closely, its picture in picture. This project was Riley’s big idea.
