Happy 11th Anniversary!

Happy 11th anniversary to my amazing, beautiful, patient, beautiful, loving, beautiful, supportive, beautiful wife! I look forward to so many more happy years with you! I thank God for placing you in my life!


High School Dance 1996


Wedding 2000


2011

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 7/27

EdenFantasys For Parents

Is there any rule that parents aren't allowed to have personal items like sex toys, massage oils, or adult games? With a 5-year-old, I've come to the realization that he will get into everything. We've been lucky that he has never found out adult oriented products hidden in the closet, but they aren't exactly well hidden. I've read about parents who's kids come walking out of the bedroom carrying an adult toy, asking what it is. How embarrassing would that be? How do you explain that away?

There's no reason that parents can't have products to spice things up! I recently spent some time looking for a locking case to store our toys in. I found that many of the cases available on EdenFantasys look too small for a decent sized collection. I ended up ordering the Lockable Sex Toy Case. I was pleasantly surprised when the case arrived. I was able to fit a large majority of our toys inside this case. The best part is that once you have all your toys stashed away, you can set your own 3-digit combination to unlock the case. The one I ordered was purple, but they also offer a pink one and a black one.



Other options for sex toy storage include the Devine toy box pink corset, the Devine playchest, and The original toibocks.



If you have never ordered from EdenFantasys, be assured that the packages come discretely! The boxes are plain brown boxes and the return address on the label says Web Merchants, Inc. Without an xray machine, it is impossible to know what is in the box! Shipping is very quick and 3-5 day shipping is free on orders over $59. If you want it quicker than that, you can get 2nd day delivery free for an order over $80.



Disclaimer: I received a gift code in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Who Is Simon Miller?

Are you and your family ready for a family movie night? Proctor and Gamble and Walmart will be presenting Who Is Simon Miller? on Saturday, August 6 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC.

Synopsis

Like most families, the Millers have their challenges. Simon’s (Loren Dean) frequent business trips have created some distance between him and the rest of the family, leaving Meredith (Robyn Lively) stretched and struggling to keep things together. Daughter Sarah, an 18-year-old honor student, has recently gotten herself into trouble at school while son Kevin, 15, struggles to engage with anything outside of a video game…

But these issues all prove to be trivial when Simon goes missing. Sensing something is not right, the family frantically searches Simon’s office for information. Discovery of a stash of passports, all with Simon’s picture but each with a different alias, reveals that their father has been keeping more than a few secrets. In a frantic phone call, Simon urges the family not to tell anyone of his disappearance, not even the authorities, right before the line goes dead. Who is Simon Miller? And what exactly has he gotten himself – and now his family – into?

Shocked, scared and unsure if they can even trust the dad they thought they knew, the three embark on their own international mission to get him back. With Meredith’s sharp instincts, Sarah’s foreign language skills and Kevin’s natural techgenius, they try to unravel the mystery behind his disappearance. It’s a heartpounding family thriller that tests the limits to which families will fight for each other.

Movie Trailer

Click below to see the movie trailer.



My Opinion

My family had the opportunity to preview the movie! I didn't know what to expect from a made-for-TV movie. This was a great movie and it even kept my 5-year-old's attention most of the way through. This is a great spy story that any family will enjoy. The family works together to find clues to where Simon is in order to find him. I really liked how the family worked together to help one another through a very difficult situation. In the end, there was an underlying reminder that family is the most important thing.

If you'd like to find out more, you can visit the Family Movie Night website and the Family Movie Night Facebook page.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

11 Years Anniversary

This coming Friday, July 29, my wife and I will be celebrating 11 years of marriage! It has been an amazing 11 years and I look forward to so many more! We decided that this year, we are going away for a couple nights...just the two of us! We knew we couldn't go too far, but found a cute little bed and breakfast called That Pretty Place near Shipshewana, Indiana. I booked the honeymoon suite because it has a 2-person Jacuzzi tub!

I'm looking so forward to spending a few days away with my wife! I am sure we'll do some shopping and play at least one round of putt putt. Yes, ladies, I do enjoy shopping. For me, the most enjoyable parts will be just relaxing in our room and tasting as many culinary delights as possible!

I've scoped out several places already to eat at. Friday evening, I think we'll go to Blue Gate Restaurant, where they offer All You Can Eat Fish Fry! For breakfast on Saturday, I plan to visit Das Dutchman Essenhaus, which has an really great breakfast buffet! I don't have plans for Saturday's lunch or dinner yet, but there are a lot of great little places to grab a sandwich or snack!

Sunday, we'll probably have breakfast at the B&B because it is a Bed and Breakfast after all. I also plan to visit Granite City Brewery for their Brunch Buffet. Since Target is right there, I have a feeling we'll make a stop there too since there isn't one near home.

Wholly Guacamole Review & Giveaway

Summer has to be one of my favorite times of year. That's not because I like the heat! It's because I love grilling foods and all the fresh snacks available! I've found a company that has amazing products my family loves. Wholly makes Wholly Guacamole, Wholly Salsa, and Wholly Queso!

Wholly sent me a cooler full of their products to try out for a review and giveaway here on my blog! I was so excited when the large white cooler of product arrived at my front door! My wife and I love guacamole, but have never really had it at home. I made fresh guacamole years ago in 4-H that was pretty good.

The night the Wholly Guacamole arrived, I dug right in to the spicy kind with nacho chips! This product tastes so fresh and is full of flavor, with just a hint of heat. We ate a whole package in one evening. We also received the classic, pico de gallo, and 100 calorie snack pack versions of the guacamole. These were all great and I found the 100 calorie snack packs to be a great lunch box treat! My wife even made the comment, "We need to keep guacamole in the house all the time!".



In addition to the great guacamole, we also received the Mild Wholly Salsa and Wholly Queso! These were both great and would make a great addition to any nacho or taco bar! We often do taco or nacho bars when we have friends over because it is easy to set up all the ingredients and allow friends to make their food the way they like it. I'd really like to try the Hot Wholly Salsa because I like a little extra heat. I will say that the salsa reminded me of a salsa I often make straight from the garden. It was very fresh and tasted great!



Here's some information about Wholly Guacamole that I found very interesting:

• 96% avocado + spices, no fillers


• 100% Food Safe = bacteria free, salmonella free


• Kosher, gluten-free, vegan


• 100% recyclable packaging and member of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)


• Sustainability: Our excess avocado pits and skins are burned for fuel

Giveaway

Would you like to win a cooler full of Wholly products like the one I received?

1. One of my readers will win a cooler of products just like mine!


2. In addition to that, 3 additional readers will receive 3 coupons for free product!

Note: Giveaway open to residents of the continental United States only.

Mandatory Entry

This entry MUST be completed before extra entries will count.

• Visit Wholly and tell me which product you most want to try. (1 entry)

Extra Entries

• Sign up for the Wholly Guacamole newsletter and special offers. (1 entry)


• Follow Wholly Guacamole on Facebook. (1 entry)


• Follow Wholly Guacamole on twitter. (1 entry)


• Follow me on Facebook (1 entry)


• Follow me (@matt0701) on twitter. (1 entry)


• Tweet the giveaway (Leave the direct link to your tweet). (1 entry per day)


• Share this giveaway on Facebook (Leave a link to it). (1 entry).


• Share this giveaway on any giveaway linky. (Leave a link to the linky). (1 entry)


• Follow me with Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)


• Subscribe to my blog by email. (1 entry)


• Subscribe to my blog by RSS feeds. (1 entry)


• Add my button to your blog and leave me the link. (1 entry)


• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Wholly Guacamole. (5 entries. Please leave one comment per entry.)


• Enter my other active giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway entered.)

Contest ends August 6, 2011. I will choose a winner using random.org sometime on August 7, 2011 and contact the winner by email. You will have three days to respond by email with your contact information.

Disclaimer: Wholly Guacamole provided me with product samples for my review. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 7/20

Hello everyone! I feel like I'm behind on posts here. It has been a really busy summer! Currently, I have the $37.50 Novica GC giveaway running. I hope to get my Wholly Guacamole post up in the next couple of days!

Please share all of your great giveaways here!

Digital Camcorder Winner

Congratulations to ChicnSavvy on being the winner of the Coby Digital Camcorder!




I'll be emailing you soon to get your shipping information! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Novica Review & $37.50 GC Giveaway

My wife and I are going to be celebrating our 11th anniversary at the end of this month. It has been 11 of the greatest years of my life! We haven't done a whole lot for anniversaries as far as gifts in the past few years because we've been aggressively paying off debt. This year, we're going away for a couple nights to celebrate!

Novica contacted me about doing a review and giveaway on my blog and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get something for my wife! I looked around at a lot of jewelry items throughout their site. They have items like Silver Charm Bracelets, Silver Cross Necklaces, and much more. I found Moonstone Waterfall Earrings that would match a necklace she has. The earrings came with a little card that describe them and tells about the artist that made them. This particular set of earrings was made in India and the purchase supports the artist and her family. The best part is that the earrings are very beautiful and are made well!



Novica also has a program for those that want to earn money at home. NOVICA Live is an opportunity that allows the consultant to have house parties that showcase the many items available from Novica. You can visit NOVICA Live if you are interested in this opportunity. Please be sure to let them know you found out about this opportunity on my blog!

Giveaway

Novica is offering one of my readers a $37.50 Gift Code to be used for any purchase on their site.

Please be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! Remember to leave one comment per entry so that each one counts!

Mandatory Entry

This entry MUST be completed before extra entries will count.

• Visit Novica and tell me what you would use the gift code to buy. (1 entry)

Extra Entries

• Follow Novica on Facebook. (1 entry)


• Follow Novica on twitter. (1 entry)


• Follow me on Facebook (1 entry)


• Follow me (@matt0701) on twitter. (1 entry)


• Tweet the giveaway (Leave the direct link to your tweet). (1 entry per day)


• Share this giveaway on Facebook (Leave a link to it). (1 entry).


• Share this giveaway on any giveaway linky. (Leave a link to the linky). (1 entry)


• Follow me with Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)


• Subscribe to my blog by email. (1 entry)


• Subscribe to my blog by RSS feeds. (1 entry)


• Add my button to your blog and leave me the link. (1 entry)


• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Novica. (5 entries. Please leave one comment per entry.)


• Enter my other active giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway entered.)

Note: Giveaway open worldwide.

Contest ends July 31, 2011. I will choose a winner using random.org sometime on August 1, 2011 and contact the winner by email. You will have three days to respond by email with your contact information.

Disclaimer: Novica provided me with a gift code to order the product mentioned above for my review. All opinions are my own.

Triberr

Triberr is a great way to share your blog posts with more people on Twitter. My basic description of Triberr is that your posts are tweeted out by other people in your tribe. I really like this especially for my giveaways because it gets them out to more people, expanding my audience! Currently, my posts get tweeted out to over 16,000 people on Twitter.

If you are a giveaway blogger and haven't joined Triberr yet, let me know in a comment below because I'm trying to start up a new tribe for bloggers that do giveaways! I can send you a direct message invitation on Twitter or an email, so let me know how to send an invite! The more tribe members we have, the more people our posts get to!

The Run

How many of you have noticed the rising cost of health care and all the changes the U.S. government is making to health care? I don't think there is a single American that isn't aware of these things. I was just introduced to an event called The Run which is raising awareness of natural medicine and encouraging Americans to take charge and have choices about their health. This is headed up by renowned Naturopathic Physician Dr. Holly Lucille, ND. Below is a little information about The Run. Be sure to check them out!

In a historic effort to spark a movement for natural medicine on Main Street, America, Dr. Dennis Godby, ND, will run across the USA for the second time - this time with his two sons and nephew. The Run will begin in San Francisco on July 17, 2011, and end in Bridgeport, CT on November 16, 2011. The coast-to-coast Run is designed to educate and empower Americans about natural health care options: in preventing disease, finding and treating the cause of illness, and revitalizing the nation’s health. The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward, will cross the United States on foot to promote the causes of empowered health care choices throughout America – its mission includes increasing the health of the American people, providing information about sustainable and quality holistic health care options, and educating the public about healthy lifestyle management and health maintenance. The four-month, ninety city journey hopes to introduce the concept of “naturopathic medicine” into the national vocabulary, and make “naturopath” a household term. The Run will also lead to increased health care options for Americans by stimulating interest in naturopathic care, and encouraging more comprehensive insurance coverage for these alternate primary care choices.

The practice of Naturopathic Medicine includes six underlying principles of healing – principles that make Naturopathic Medicine different from all other medical approaches:

• First Do No Harm: Utilize the most natural, least invasive, and least toxic therapies.


• The Healing Power of Nature: Trust in the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself.


• Identify and Treat the Causes: Look beyond the symptoms to the underlying cause.


• Doctor as Teacher: Educate patients in the steps to achieving and maintaining health.


• Treat the Whole Person: View the body as an integrated whole in all its physical and spiritual dimensions.


• Prevention: Focus on overall health, wellness and disease prevention.

All information provided by Dr. Holly Lucille, ND in conjunction with The Run.


Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post.

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 7/13

Welcome to all my readers! Please make sure to enter the Digital Camcorder giveaway above while you are here! It ends this Saturday night!

I have more reviews and giveaways coming, including Wholly Guacamole, Tropical Traditions Bar and Liquid Soaps, and a Novica gift card! Please stay tuned for all of those great products!

Share your giveaways below!

Storms, Power Outages, & More

This past Friday, my wife asked if I'd be interested in going to the Drive-in theater with our 5 year old son. I figured it would be fun even though it makes for a late night. We started the evening eating at a little tavern in a tiny town out in the middle of nowhere for the first time. I had a stuffed hamburger that was dry, but the taste was out of this world good! We had considerable time before the movies, so we headed to a local ice cream place and got dessert. It was our first time eating here too. The ice cream was excellent. I had hard-dipped bubblegum ice cream and loved both very large dips of it! We settled in at the drive-in and watched Zookeeper and Monte Carlo. Zookeeper was an excellent movie. Monte Carlo was a bit too much of a chick flick for me.

Wow! Yesterday, we had some unexpected storms that moved in quickly and generated some serious winds! Our power was out for almost 8 hours yesterday. Thankfully, the temperatures dropped a little bit when the storm rolled through.

Last night, we decided to go out for supper because I had won Olive Garden gift cards in a charity raffle. Olive Garden is hit or miss with me most of the time. This time, I felt the food was very good! I had the Parmesan crusted tilapia and it was great even though it was a bit more fishy than I like. For dessert, we had their mini desserts. All I can say about that is YUM!

GoPicnic Winner

Congratulations to ape2016 on being the winner of my GoPicnic meals giveaway!




I'll be emailing you soon for your shipping information!

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 7/5

Don't miss out on the GoPicnic and Digital Camcorder Giveaways while you are here!!

Share your giveaways and please note ones with low entries!

Tropical Traditions Oats Winner

Happy Independence Day to all my U.S.A. readers!

Congratulations to Lynda on being the winner of my Tropical Traditions Organic Thick Rolled Oats giveaway!




I'll be emailing you soon to get your contact information!

5 Question Friday

First of all, Happy Birthday to my gorgeous wife!! Love you baby!



1. If you had the opportunity to bungee jump, would you?

I would love to try bungee jumping some day!

2. Would you rather go to the movie theater or to the drive-in?

I would much rather go to a drive-in because they are cheaper and you don't have to bump elbows with someone you don't know. Plus you can bring your own snacks!

3. Do you have your groceries delivered?

We have never tried grocery delivery. There's nowhere local that offers this service and shipping would be outrageous to do it with some national place.

4. Eyebrows: Do you wax, thread, pluck, or stay au naturel?

Au naturel except for I have a couple hairs that like to grow twice as long as the rest. I pluck those about once a month.

5. Would the people you went to high school with be surprised by your life today?

I don't think anyone would be too surprised with my life today. Besides for being a tiny bit more mature, I'm not a whole lot different than I was in high school. Of course my wife will probably comment below and tell me all the ways I'm different.