Saturday, March 26, 2011

Spotlight Saturday Blog Hop

It's Spotlight Saturday Hosted By





Between the Lines



Welcome to our fun blog hop with a twist!  Every week swing by to link up your blog and one you want to spotlight!  Did you find a new blog you liked this week?  Is there one you visit on a daily basis?  Well, simply link up your Spotlighted blog right under yours.  We will Spotlight our favorite blogs of the week in spots 4, 5, and 6.  

This week is I'm Spotlighting Jodi from the Magical Mouse Schoolhouse! 

How it Works

1) Link up your own blog.
2)Link up a blog you want to spotlight for the week.(ex. Spotlight: Roslyn's Closet)
3) Follow your three hosts.
4) Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or in a Spotlight Saturday Post.
5) Follow as many blogs from the list as you like and leave a comment so they know you stopped by.
6) Return the favor by following blogs that followed you.
(Be aware that URL's cannot be duplicated so please have a second spotlight choice in mind. If your blog's URL has already been spotlighted, just add one you'd like to spotlight. And don't forget to leave a comment with the blog you spotlighted so they can come and join the blog hopping fun! )



Friday, March 25, 2011

Don't Miss Spotlight Saturday!

Between the Lines

Don't forget tomorrow is Spotlight Saturday!  Hope you all come back in the morning to join us, along with Survey Junkie and Little Yaya's, for our fun little Blog Hop with a twist!!!  Link up your own blog and another that you would love to share with the rest of us!  Linky opens at midnight!

Imagination Box Co. Review


For the last three weeks, my girls and I have been working diligently on completing a fun Arts and Crafts project.   The Eco-Friendly folks from the Imagination Box Co. sent us a big Country Barn to decorate and play with.  The Country Barn, made of cardboard, came in four pieces that were easy to assemble.  Both sides of the cardboard were decorated with pictures.  One side had all the stuff outside the barn and the other side had all the stuff inside the barn. We actually decorated it before assembling it.  It was easier for the girls to color it on a flat surface.

The cardboard can be colored with crayons, markers, or paints.  Even though the barn came with its own paint set, the girls chose markers because we had both fat and thin markers.  My older daughter said she wanted it to be perfect and she would mess up too much with paint. :)  So in order not "to mess up too much", we took our time and created a fun and colorful Country Barn. 

My girls are still at the stage where they love using their imaginations to create fun games and new worlds.  Now that the barn is complete, they love bringing their little farm animals to life.  You may notice in the pictures above that the roof isn't completely on.   The girls wanted to be able to take it off whenever they were having a "Farm Party" with all their animals inside.

The Imagination Box Co. has a fun variety of cardboard creations for your little ones to design and explore. The Castle Tower, for example, stands at 39" tall.  A great fit for all those Barbie Dolls who need a home.  Check out Imagination Box Co. today to discover other fun toys they have waiting for you.


Disclosure:  I received a free Country Barn in exchange for my review.  I was under no obligation to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

To Decorate or To Masquerade...

For centuries, Venetian Masks have been a popular tradition in Venice, Italy.  Although the beautifully designed masks were originally created to hide one's face during the Carnevale Celebration, they are now also sold as beautiful decoration pieces.
As a child, I spent four years living in Europe.  We traveled through many countries and collected many decorative souvenirs.  On one of of our many trips, my parents bought me a set of three Venetian Masks to decorate my room.  They weren't like the Commedia Masks that you would expect to see on stage of a Shakespeare play, but rather soft delicate porcelain masks with intricate designs.  Although, I don't still have them in my bedroom, they are happily adding a little style and flare to our upstairs bathroom.
Today these beautiful pieces of art are great collector pieces.  Whether you are heading for a masquerade ball or just want to spruce up your decor, 1001 Venetian Mask.com has what you are looking for.  They personally select each and every one of their masks from Master Artisans and never sell imitations.   If you are looking for a great selection and great prices, look no further.  Visit 1001 Venetian Masks.com today.
Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  I was compensated to write it.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Sir, Please Stay Still

Yesterday, as I waited for an hour to get my MRI I heard, "Sir, Please stay still!" repeated dozens of times.  I guess they figured  that the appointment ahead of me would go quickly, so they brought me back to wait.  Unfortunately, they were terribly wrong.  The more they told the man to stay still, the more he moved.  Of course, I wasn't watching this, but all of their conversation was on a loud speaker so the man could hear them.  And although I was soooooo tired of waiting, I felt so bad for him.  I know how hard it is to stay still, especially when someone tells you to do so.  Everyone who knows me well, knows that I am not a big fan of small spaces for that very reason.  I like to be able to move when I want to.  So the more I listen to them say, "Sir, Please stay still!", the more I dreaded my turn.  However, when I finally did get in there, I managed to listen to my music and stay still for the entire 30 minutes.  My legs were tingling and asleep when they were done,  but at least I didn't have to redo any scans.  Can you name something else that is hard to do just because someone tells you to do it?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Apothica.com $50 Giveaway


Are you looking for top of the line Make Up?  Do you need some luxurious Bath and Body products at a lower price?  Apothica.com is an online beauty boutique, which carries the finest selection of skin care, body care, aromatherapy, and cosmetic products on the market today, including the most natural, organic products available. Apothica has a large collection of the most sought after brands, including Smashbox, Clinique, and Becca, all on one website. 
Thanks to Apothica.com, I have found my new favorite lip gloss.  Smashbox Cosmetics sells the perfect lip gloss for anyone who is looking for ultra-hydrated, naturally plump, and glossy lips.  The Holiday Edition shown above, came with two full size lip glosses and four travel size ones.  I haven't decided which is my favorite, but at least now I have a shade to match almost every outfit!  Apothica.com is still selling this wonderful set for only $29.  Get it before its gone!
Thanks to the generous people from Apothica.com, one of you lucky readers will win a $50 Gift Card yo spend on your favorite make up and/or beauty products.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Apothica.com and let me know a product that caught your eye? Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Extras:
~Write on Apothica.com's Facebook wall saying what you think of Apothica. (2)
~Follow Apothica on Twitter (3)
~Sign up for Apothica's Newsletter   Please let me know the email you signed up with(3)
~ Follow Between the Lines on Facebook (5)
~Follow Between the Lines (3)
~ Subscribe to my email (5)
~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
~Follow me on Twitter (2)
~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
~ Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 each)
-Blog about this giveaway and Smashbox cosmetics (or another Apothica brand you love)- Link brand to Apothica. Be sure to leave me the link! (10)

This giveaway will end on April 5th @10p.m Eastern
*This giveaway is open to  US and Canada only.  Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.  
Disclaimer: I received compensation for placing an ad on my sidebar.  The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review. Prizes are mailed out by the distributor and Between the Lines cannot be held accountable for prizes not sent.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Family Fun Center Fun!

Last week we took the girls to the Family Fun Center to give roller skating a try for the first time.  I wasn't expecting success, but I thought they would have fun.   I was excited when we arrived that there was no one else on the floor skating.  I figured this would make it less intimidating for them.  Another bonus was that the center had a separate kids' floor that had rails the entire way around.  This was so great for them because even though they were scared, they could build up their confidence by holding onto the railing. 

As you can see in the above picture, their feet were trying to get away from them.  But despite the struggles and falls to the bottoms, they kept trying.
Pretty soon my oldest daughter got the hang of it and was crusin' around with her handsome Daddy.
After Roller Skating we headed over to the other side of the fun center for some mini golf, where Daddy beat us all (by a lot!).
Then it was off to the rock climbing wall where my  little dare devils kept climbing to the top and jumping back off.
The next stop of the fun center was the huge playground with the fun ball pit.
Next we headed over to get a little bumper car action.  Unfortunately, my youngest was big enough to drive a car, but she decided to take over the camera instead.  Not bad photos for a 4-year old.
We finished up the day at the fun center by letting the girls ride the virtual roller coaster.  They were both so excited and really felt like they were on a roller coaster.  There was laughter, squeals, and hold on tights throughout the ride.
All in all, it was a fantastic day that they are still talking about.  Do you have a similar Family Fun Center near you?   Is it a big hit with the kiddos?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!