WMW: I'm Copping Out...

Prompt Numero Uno: You know you're stressed when...

So, I always try to be true and honest in every post I make, especially when following the prompts of Working Mommy Wednesday, because I really appreciate those girls and everything they have to say. We are a community going through many of the same things.

However, all week I've been thinking about how to mold my Blog Giveaway (LAST DAY!) and trying to get some good Ebates referral money** into the working mommy wednesday topic. I know it's a total plug, and I know it's slightly tacky that I would promote my stuff for my own good on my blog, but hey, you know what stresses me out?

Money.

And you know where I turn when I get stressed out? Retail Therapy. It's a vicious cycle, for sure. I NEED new shoes, and I don't mean that in a Carrie Bradshaw way, I literally mean I need shoes because more than a year later, I cannot fit in my smart work shoes from pre-Jacob days. I need brown dress shoes, black dress shoes, and black comfortable but still office appropriate loafers. And because I have huge, super wide monster feet and I stand up and walk a lot at work, I have to buy pretty pricey shoes, and I have to buy them online.

So when Naturalizer or shoebuy.com is having a 20% off code, I tend to go hawg-wild, y'all. I have to order a lot of pairs of shoes until I eventually find one or two I can stand to wear for longer than 98 minutes. That ain't easy. Currently, I have 3 shiny shoe boxes in my office drawer, and a shopping cart loaded with 6 more pairs. It is almost worse than bathing suit or bra shopping.

Except that I only have to look at my feet.

And shoes are fun.

**So, if you haven't been introduced to ebates yet, allow me to make the introduction. I earned back about $75 off what I spent on Christmas gifts last year, and my shoe purchases alone net me about $40 a year. Seriously, all you do is sign up, shop through their link (often finding awesomely good coupon codes along the way) and every quarter you get a check in the mail. No scam, ladies.

Another Giveaway? No Way!

Ladies, I have something to share with you.

And I'm really (literally) putting myself out there with this one. As in, if you click the link you will have my whole name, phone number, email address, etc. (Doesn't that get you all excited???) But it's because I am sharing my newest business venture with you girls.

If you know me in real life, you know that I've always kind of scoffed at the home party businesses out there. Tupperware? I love it (some of my favorite kitchen items were passed down from my grandma, mom, and mother-in-law...okay, maybe the ones from my mom weren't exactly passed down but more, um, permanently borrowed) but that crap is WAY expensive! Pampered Chef is nice, but I think I've been cooking long enough that I either already have the gadgets I need, or have found a quicker way without said gadgets. As far as the make-up companies go...meh...I prefer the tactile Sephora-Ulta-Target beauty section style browsing too much.

But then I won a blog giveaway from Mrs. Foreste. And I met a wonderful woman who sells Scentsy products. And after I received my warmer and Camu Camu scent, my office smelled so good that I had clients and co-workers constantly asking what made our branch smell so delicious. So I ordered some more smells, and I was like a kid two weeks before Christmas waiting for them to come in. I couldn't believe I was so excited over a warmer and some scented wax, but honestly, I AM A GIRL. We all get like that!

Eventually, I offered to do what we call a "basket" party, and my consultant sent me samples to let my friends, family, and co-workers smell all the different scents and place orders. And it was SO EASY, that I thought...maybe this is just the perfect fit. So now I am a consultant with Scentsy, and I couldn't be more excited to share with one of you the rewards of my hard work. Scentsy offers hostesses all kinds of free product and half-price product credits, and since I am having my own Open House this weekend, one of you lucky readers will earn something from my free product credits. Something worth $40!

I am gifting one of my lovely readers with their choice of a Full-Size Warmer and 3 Scentsy bars to grace their home, office, or anything else. As you can tell, I really believe in these products! Please feel free to visit my website: https://alidavis.scentsy.us/Home . Even if you do not win the giveaway, you can purchase directly from my website, or contact me to find out about hosting your own party, either in person or through the internet. If you have been thinking about joining as a consultant yourself, I'd love to take this journey with you. I have a terrific sponsor/director myself, and you would be joining our team. The requirements are easy to meet and the stuff practically sells itself!

On to the rules: to enter, you only must be a follower of my blog and tell me which warmer you would choose, along with at least one scent that sounds intriguing to you. (Don't worry, if you win I won't hold you to those, you can always change your mind).

For extra entries, I would love it if you would vote for me on Picket Fence blogs (1 entry per vote, per day) and/or blog about this giveaway (2 entries) and I will give you 5 entries if you click on the link to sign up for my Scentsy newsletter (it's only once per month, no spam!) Just leave me comments telling me what you've done! Good luck ladies...I will choose a winner next Wednesday, you have until 8PM (EST) on 10/20 to enter.

A For Real Giveaway This Time!

So, does everyone remember way back in February when I did my first ever blog giveaway? Probably not, considering 2/3 of you have joined me since then, but this time I am actually having a for-real, not just something I bought but something that someone else who makes beautiful, whimsical, unique, girly things has offered to let me surprise y'all with.

Her name is Katie, and she makes quirky jewelry and thing-a-ma-bobs for girls, tweens, and stylish women of every age alike. Here is her Etsy shop. Go there! She does a buy one, get one half off sale all the time. I can personally vouch for her work and her customer service, as I have bought gifts from her before.

Here is something for the little babes:

Or how about something for the tweens in your life?

Or maybe, like me, mama wants something for herself, like my personal favorites:

Who doesn't love the idea of these unique rings? And at only $5 to $12, and extremely reasonable shipping, you almost can't afford NOT to treat yourself. I know I am sure to get a compliment when I wear one of these:

Now, the exciting part: one of you is going to win a $10 credit to Katie's Kreations. You could get something for yourself and a friend (I mean your kid, of course). I will leave this open until midnight next Monday (technically Tuesday) so you have almost a full week to enter. You only have to do two things to enter: become a follower of this blog, and visit Katie's page to let me know the most irresistible item you can find.

If you would like to gain extra entries, you can do that by spreading the word for this giveaway by linking to your own blog . Did you notice my two fancy new buttons? You can also win extra entries by giving me my very first votes as a member of picket fence blogs! Feel free to vote (and leave a comment) each day of the giveaway. Leave a separate comment for each action you perform, and I can't wait to give something back to you guys!

This is why, this is why, this is why I'm Old.

I am reviewing a personal beauty item. I'm choosing to call it that, even though technically it's more like a personal hygeine item (and thankfully not connected to last night's blog post, so keep reading).

I work in an industry where I see a lot of people every day, and also handle one of the most disgusting things you could come into contact with: money. Cold, hard cash is not nearly as glamourous as you would suspect. Mostly it's dirty and full of germs and after you count a lot of it, you feel like your hands are crawling with every virus and bacteria God ever created. Because of this, I use a lot of hand sanitizer. And lotion. I've been using Aveeno lotion, which I do love, but it takes a while for it to soak in, so when I go to type or greet the next client, my hands still feel greasy and that drives me nuts. (But not as nuts as imagining the bugs.)

Enter the holy grail of hand sanitizers:

I know that Gold Bond gets a bad rap sometimes, mostly from those gloriously asinine "Gold Bond Medicated Powder" commercials and all of the *problems* that they treat. I assure you that this does NOT smell like Gold Bond Medicated Powder. In fact, here is an actual conversation between my husband and I on our way to church a few weeks ago. This is after we received a sample size Gold Bond Ultimate lotion in our "stockings" at Christmas and put it in the glovebox:

A few moments after putting lotion on, A turns to J and says, "What smells so good in here?"

Hubby sniffs himself, in all the appropriate areas, looks around, leans over and sniffs wife, responds, "I don't know. It's not me or you."

::sideeyes:: Wifey, "it's almost like detergent...just a really clean smell."

The lightbulb above hubby's head suddenly flickers to life for the first time all morning, "it can't be...is it the lotion?"

Wifey sniffs hands and exclaims, "Oh my god, it IS!"

Hubby sits back with a self-satisfied grin and says smugly, "See, I told you that Gold Bond was some good shit."

Yes, this was literally a conversation we had in the car. Luckily, little one was sleeping and is too young (for a very quickly dwindling period of time) to know some of the words we use.

Hopefully it will be a much longer amount of time bgefore he figures out just how uncool his parents are!