Linny's Vault

Whole Grain First: General Mills Cereal Giveaway!

2012-01-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

"Whole Grain"...sounds like something that would taste like wood, doesn't it? Well, not anymore! General Mills has worked their magic and perfected the taste to where every one of their cereals with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient, but still has the same delicious cereal taste.

Next time you're at the market & see "whole grain" as part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grains is the first and most prevalent ingredient, you don't have to drop it and run because it's healthy and great tasting. Perfect for those of you who's New Year's resolutions were to eat healthier!

Here a couple of tips from Dr. Stork (ER doctor & host of "The Doctors), to help you include whole grain easily into your diet:

Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day´s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
Make Simple Swaps. Cho ose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
Don´t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don´t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

I know when I'm at the grocery store it's difficult to identify the healthier cereals from the sugar loaded ones so having that white check really helps out. General Mills has also come up with "Fast Lane for Whole Grain", an online educational game to help with choosing products with whole grain.

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~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault reader will win these 5 boxes of General Mills cereal!

(that's like 3 months worth of breakfast!)

How to win:

Leave only ONE comment listing ALL of the entries you completed (NO MULTIPLE COMMENTS PLEASE). There's NO need to leave multiple comments, I will count all of them for you! Please remember the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I count any of your optional entries. Also, be sure to leave me an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry:

Tell me which of the above 5 cereals is your favorite?

Optional Entries:

- Subscribe to this blog via email or reader (bottom right sidebar) - 3 entries

- Like General Mills on Facebook - 2 entries

- Follow me on Twitter - 2 entries

- Tweet this --> "Get MORE whole grain in your diet by entering to win 5 boxes of General Mills cereal: http://bit.ly/xlDRAc @linnysvault #giveaway" - 1 entry (can be done 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Friday, February 3 @11:59pm (pst).

Winner will be chosen at random, posted the following day. Giveaway is open to US resident (18 yrs +) only.

(Disclosure: The above information & 5 pack General Mills cereal has been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I was provided with the same prize pack as above in exchange for posting the above information & giveaway. The views & opinions found in this post are mine.)

Ten On Tuesday

2012-01-24T06:34:00.001-08:00

1. I've recently found that watching online TV while at work allows me not only to stay busy but also entertained while trying to ignore my co-workers.

2. Just heard the list of Academy Award nominees. I'm not impressed.

3. It's true.

4. I think I'd rather take a punch to the gut than stub my toe. Holy hell, that hurts!

5. There's a metal button accessory on my shoe that I snagged on something yesterday, causing it to tweak so now every time I walk the fucking turned up edge of metal backing digs into my pinky toe. I've tried fixing it but apparently I need hand tools or some shit.

6. Did you know eating a few marshmallows can help sooth your sore throat? Neither did I! Check it out, this blog post has some other pretty rad "did you know" facts.

7. But mostly the teeny binkini. (yeah, right)

8. A rep from Aflac came to my work to talk us into buying their Accident/Cancer/Screw You Out of Your Money Insurance last week. I was actually tempted to sign up until I started doing the math. According to them, they'd pay me as much as $25 for abrasion/small cuts as long as it was followed by a doctors visit, which costs me $30 (deductible) but then they'd also be charging me $25.89 every two weeks for the insurance...do these assholes really think I can't count? I opted out of it because honestly if I get a paper cut, I'm putting a band-aide on it, not paying my doctor $30 to do it & wasting my time with insurance paperwork for a measly $25 check.

9. I'm constantly tempted to correct people when I hear them say "piture", "Valentimes" and "axed". Learn to pronounce it correctly or don't use it. That is all.

10. I need new blogs to read. It's not that I'm bored with my current 200-something blogs (I love you guys!) but I just need something new in my reader. Don't be stingy, share some of your faves with me ;)

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Now it's your turn to get your 10 on Tuesday on...make your list & link up here so we can all check you out!

Vanity, You Make Me Sink So Low

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

So...facial fuzz...total bitch to deal with, right?

I'm of course assuming all you guys have it or have had it.

Oh sweet jeebus tell me you have it too.

I know I'm not the first or the last woman to have to deal with it or pluck the shit out of her face or have to buy expensive smelly products to get rid of it's annoying ass but it sometimes feels like it. Also, what's up with those women on the street flaunting their beautiful hairless faces, don't they know I'm totally green with envy?

Yeah, I know they do it on purpose.

Could it be my Mexican roots, masculine-like hormones, thyroid condition or just plain bad hairy luck?

Whatever the cause may be it's there. All the fucking time.

So this weekend, when I was too ~~lazy~~ tired to smother my face in hair removal cream and wait the excruciatingly long 8 minutes for it to leave red splotches and hair patches all over my money maker I reached for something I swore I'd never reach for in my life.

There it was, perched up all nicely in it's charging station, green light glowing with it's eagerness to be used. Technically, it's to blame.

So yeah, I used it. So what?

Please don't judge too harshly.

I used...Rusty's hair groomer. Yes, yes I did.

It was quick, did the job nicely & I didn't have to deal with any burning sensation. As easy as it was though and as likely as I am to probably utilize it again, I couldn't help but see Rosanne Barr in the movie "She Devil" when I glanced up at the mirror.

Although, jeebus knows I wanted so badly to glance up & see the image of the glamorous lady up there on the right.

*sigh*

The awkward & shameful things I do in the name of vanity.

Replying To Comments Just Got Easier...I'm Not Doing It Though

2012-01-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to reply to the comments people leave on your blog:

1. In another comment on your post.

2. Via email (aka: the better way).

Yeah, it's probably easy to tell which I prefer.

But for those of you who like replying to comments in your own comment section, Blogger has made it even easier for you. Now you can click a 'Reply' button under the comment you want to reply too & it'll begin a thread-type comment.

So no more using @name & hoping they'll piece together that you're replying to their comment. Now they'll know for sure because it's right under the one they left you. Unless they're morons, because then there's just no hope for them.

Here's how to change it in 4 easy steps:

(click here to enlarge)

I know a ton of bloggers are now gonna be changing it to this because for some odd reason they like responding in the damn comments section but I won't. As a reader of around 500 blogs, I don't have the time or willpower to go back & check the comments sections to see if & what they replied to my one comment.

To be completely blunt, I just don't care that much. Sorry.

Personally I prefer to reply to my comments via email & like it when other bloggers do the same. The way I see it, if I don't like going on a wild goose chase for comment reply then why would I make others do it? Also, it's super easy & less time consuming because I'm already reading their comment in my email...look, the reply button is right there!

However, there are still some peeps out there that have their profile set to private, making it so they can't receive a nifty little email reply from me because I can't see their email. Know what I see? This --> "No-Reply@Blogger", staring at me in the address bar. Yuck! It hurts my retinas.

So if you have a minute, please please please check your settings & make sure you're not of these 'no-reply' losers. Honestly, why would you want to miss out on my awesome response to your comment?!

Here's how to check/change it in 4 easy steps:

- From Blogger Dashboard, click Edit Profile

(click here to enlarge)

Alrighty, I think I've just about hit my helpful quota for the day so if you'll excuse me I'm going to go kill some brain cells with some celebrity gossip.

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Guess I'm not done being helpful just yet...

*Note: If you have a customized blog template (like I do) the reply feature may not work but you can try getting around it by doing this.

**Another Note: Marla made a really good point in her comment (check it out, it really makes sense), so I'm re-thinking this thread thing. However, I'll let you guys know right now that I won't be using it to reply to your comments. That will still happen via email. I'm sticking to my email guns dammit. *stomps foot*

Ten On Tuesday

2012-01-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

1. This morning started out like crap. I really hope to jeebus it doesn't get much worse. I can't take anymore bullshit. Someone will seriously have a stapler thrown at them if it continues this way.

2. All fucktards please refer to the following image -->

3. My mom's out of the hospital. Yay! However, her court ordered insurance company is refusing to pay for any of her medications so I just had to let my dad borrow $310 (that I really don't have) to pay for 2 medications. *sigh* It will get better, right?

4. I missed the Golden Globes. This is something I was totally upset about until I heard the winners & saw the horrid dress Skeleton Jolie wore...yuck! I suppose re-watching season 1 of semi-nude gladiators fight to the death was a better choice in the end.

5. Why is it that I have a bazillion ideas to write about when I'm no where near my laptop, a pen & paper, or telephone? I totally blame the last 5 non-posting days on that.

6. Being a total bitch to your husband for 2 days in a row because you're hormonal & upset that the pregnancy test was negative is not OK. What is definitely OK is him still holding while you sleep even after you were a bitch. (Although, technically it's less likely of you to strike him while you sleep & he holds you down, so maybe that's why he did it...?)

7. What kind of a pussy ass Captain abandons his ship while it sinks? Didn't that fool watch The Titanic?! A captain sinks with his ship if has too. I guess sometimes it really is everyone for themselves, fuck woman & children.

8. Ha, I need this image on a bag so I can carry around with me everywhere I go.

9. If you haven't watched Sherlock Holmes 2 & were a fan of the first movie, go watch it. It was absolutely "why does it have to end" kind of good.

10. What in Hollywood's hot-mess of a world is Cameron Diaz doing to herself? Her hair color & style is a disaster & that dress is definitely not doing her stick figure any favors. I wonder if maybe she did something to piss off her stylist cause that's got to be the only reason I can think of as to why she's out in public looking like this.

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I know some of you already have your 10 up *cough* Stephanie *cough*, but for those of you who aren't early birds...make your own random 10 on Tuesday lists & link up here so we can all check you out!

"A Dollah Makes Me Hollah, Honey Boo Boo!"

2012-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

If you already know what this post is about by simply reading the title then you get 10 points & a kick to the shin because:

1.) you've been spending too much time watching online videos (get to work, slacker!)

2.) you're one of those weirdos who watch Toddlers & Tiaras. (tisk tisk)

Just so you know, I'm neither. Rusty is. He's actually #1, spending his afternoons on the net, tracking down videos he'll think will make me laugh.

This one did not. Ok, maybe just a little bit.

After the initial shock wore off & I was able to shake off that "wtf?" look, I laughed.

Little Alana's crazy dancing, ebonics-like talk, dramatic gestures, her somewhat pathetic mom (aka: the coupon queen), her belly grabs & the fact that she actually says "a dollah makes me holla, honey boo boo" and accompanies it with a few head jerks totally got me.

And it was all cute fun until I realized someday she will grow up & most likely procreate or even worse her mom will continue to procreate...eek. I'm really hoping most of this was exaggerated for the show because if not, our future is in trouble.

Also, why the fuck are they throwing around toilet paper like that!? Don't they know some homes out there *cough* mine *cough* are having a TP shortage?

That shit's expensive.

Ten On Tuesday

2012-01-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

1. I'm back bitches! Sorry, you're not really a bitch...all the time. But I am in fact back.

2. If you work in an office you can probably appreciate my hate for monthly office birthday potlucks. I'm signed up to bring muffins in next week & I'm contemplating making them extra nasty just so I won't be asked to make anything again.

3. Got news that my car's going to finally be paid off. Mini yay...I still have to pay $400 out of pocket but I suppose it's better than paying $8,000. For now we're going to continue using my mom's gas guzzler so we can pay off some credit cards with the extra cash...so we say.

4. Can we stop with these posters now, please.

5. Also, can the world shut the fuck up about Beyonce's kid already. She named the baby after a color & Jay Z released a new rap song about his excitement (talk about making money off your kid early on)...move. on.

6. It's my birthday next month & as excited as I am to have a full ~~weekend~~ day that's just about me, I'm not very excited about turning 29. How the hell did I get so old?! I swear there's been some kind of mistake, I'm still 24...

7. Why is it that the more I try to save the more I end up spending? Now that we don't have to make a car payment we should technically have $600 extra a month. Sounds good right? Yeah it is, until some sort of "unexpected" bill comes around or I decided I need a vacation from my 'giving my very young 24-year-old head gray hair' kind of life. Las Vegas anyone?

8. Thank jeebus there's stuff to watch on TV again. Dont those TV people know how damn boring it is to be at home & having nothing to do but clean & watch your husband play video games? Ugh. Talk about inconsiderate. I'm a little disappointed in Greys Anatomy & Private Practice though, they really sucked. Californication was surprisingly good, Once Upon a Time never fails me & Shameless...oh how I love thee.

9. Apparently I think like a 4 yr old.

10. I lost a follower while I was on my break. I can't blame them for leaving, who wants to stick around when nothing's happening, but I can say they're heartless bastards for abandoning me in a time of need. Ha, not really. I could care less. A week ago I would have cared. A lot. But today I say "go forth, find better blogs to read & remember to fuck off".

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Alright, it's your turn now. Make your own 10 on Tuesday list & link up here so we can all check you out. Come on, you know there's something you want to rant about...

Break Time...

2012-01-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie, I've totally judged bloggers who took breaks.

I know, I'm awful.

But in my mind it was always like, why do you need to take a "break"?, just don't write or write whatever...it's just a blog, not rocket science.

Truth is, I get it now. Life can get hectic and hard and eats up your time like a damn time monster.

My life is totally like that right now. Times 10.

My mom's recovering from emergency back surgery, I'm having to watch after her & all her very addictive pain meds and make sure she's eating all the right diabetic friendly foods. Not too mention I'm still dealing with the fucktards at the GAP insurance (just pay off my car dammit!), while attempting to fit in some time with Rusty in between all this shit and work.

2012 is not my friend as of now.

So yeah, I'm taking a break, a short one, like till next week. No need to cry, I'll still be around on Twitter, cause that's my random vent spot, and I'll be randomly commenting on your blogs.

Have a great week for me guys & I'll catch you on the flip side*.

*flip side meaning next week

Toy Story 3 On Ice...Not Just For The Kiddos Anymore

2011-12-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I loved all of the Toy Story movies, especially the last one, Toy Story 3. And, you'd have to be a heartless beast to admit you didn't shed a tear (or dozens) at the end of the movie...total tearjerker.

Last night Rusty & I took the god-kids to Disney Toy Story 3 on Ice and I gotta say, those folks on those ice skates are t-a-l-e-n-t-e-d. Who knew someone could run, jump, hop, stand on boxes, and dance on those sharp blades...on ice?!

The kids had a blast, loved the music and characters and even the adults had fun. Granted most of them were sipping their 3rd beer but whatever.

But the fun really started when this little lady came out -->

Yep, that's Barbie. Her and her tight little perfect body made an appearance. Rusty may or may not have had a huge grin on his face.

I couldn't blame him.

The best part? When she and fellow Barbies got their awesome dance groove on to the Go-Go's 'We've Got The Beat'. I could technically tell you guys how cool it was and how much I wished my parents would have put me in gymnastics or ice skating classes but I think this nifty little video I shot of it would keep your attention a little better. You're welcome.

Enjoy!

(warning: the sound's pretty loud so lower your speakers)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-12-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the end of year is right around the corner. I can't really say I'm not glad to see this year end, too much stuff's happened for me not a new year, a better year.

For now though, let's have some fun with -->

New Years is just another day. I mean, obviously it's the first day to a new year which is kind of cool but it's also one of the most boring days, aside from Christmas day. Nothings really open and nothing's on TV...lamesauce.
One of my New Year's resolutions will be ...I swore I wasn't going to make any this year because I never ever go through with them. Ever. But, I'm hopeful that I'll actually keep better track of our spending so we can save a little and pay all of our credit cards off. And, not use them again.
A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to work out more often. Sad fat truth is I haven't worked out more than 4 days all year long. Damn, that's really sad. I think I'll buy myself a treadmill for my birthday this year. I'm sure my ass will thank me for it later.
The most time consuming resolution I ever made was probably spending more time with the hubs. Believe it or not, husbands are pretty needy. Ha ha.
This year I will be spending New Year's Eve with the hubs & lil bro at the OC NYE Block Party. I'm super excited about not spending the night at home in my pj's like I used to. Hopefully I start the year off fun & happy it'll set the stage for the rest of it.
If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to not be in any more car accidents. Dealing with insurance companies is bullshit, for reals.
2012 is going to be the year I get my shit together and maybe add a third little wheel to our little family. Maybe.

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday & New Years! Party it up but don't drink & drive cause that's just stupid. Word.

Join in the on the fun by copying the blanks, filling them out & linking up at The Little Things We Do.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-12-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

1. Christmas was pretty awesome. I got everything I wanted: Nook Color w/awesome case, season 1-3 of Sex & the City, bucket of popcorn, Bridesmaids movie, pair of stripped gloves, 2 B&N gift cards (1 from the in-laws & 1 from Jessica), and a fantabulous Starbucks gift card from the amazing M.

2. Speaking of bucket of popcorn...wtf is up with them filling that bucket with a ton of caramel popcorn? My cavities can't handle that shit. In the name of all cavities I suggest they start filling it with more of that delicious white cheddar popcorn. Hot damn, it's so delicious!

3. This was my Monday...

All day. No shower. Little to no real food & some white wine. You know you're jealous.

4. Sometimes I really hate my extended family. Seeing them on Christmas only helped remind me why I stay away from those jack asses all year long.

5. I'm so excited about going to the OC NYE Block Party on Saturday night. Food trucks + live music + me & Rusty = Awesomeness beyond awesomeness, with a side of pepto-bismal.

6. My mom's doing a little better. Thank you all for your well wishes, I love you more than I could ever say out loud. She's not great but she's alive & inching her

way to better health day by day and that's all we could ask for.

7. I have some giant expectations for 2012. Bastard better live up to it or it's asking for a major ass kicking.

8. I've seen Rusty do this too many times to count -->

9. If I could physically inflict pain on the people handling my GAP insurance claim I would. I have such a hatred for them right now. Fuckers.

10. I got some fabulous Christmas cards from my bloggy buddies this year but if there was an award for the most kick ass card, I'd have to give it to M, my Canadian (attitude) twin, for her hilarious card -->

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Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Join in on the 10 on Tuesday fun by writing your own very random, but very entertaining, 10 & linking up here.

Hope You Were Good Cause It's Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's finally here!

Hope you all got what you wanted for Christmas, if you didn't it's probably because you were a rude asshole at some point throughout the year. Sorry. That was blunt. And not very Christmas mood-like.

Let me start over.

Hope you all got what you wanted for Christmas, if you didn't it's probably because you were a rude a-hole at some point throughout the year.

There, that's better. A-hole or not I hope you all have a fantastic day with your families & celebrate what this holidays really about...food, gifts, and gossip.

Dont even act, you know you guys gossip too.

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card & Chex Cereal Giveaway WINNER

2011-12-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry this is about a week late but there's a ton going on right now, yeah, like the Christmas craziness wasn't enough. But, here's the lucky winner -->

Entry #4 - Rachael

Congratulations to you!

Also gotta apologize cause I'm not posting a the random.org box that says she's the winner, I accidentally closed that window down. I'm telling you, I'm a total scatterbrain.

(winner has 48hrs to claim the item via email response, if item is not claimed a new winner will be chosen.)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

It's finally Friday...and the best part is it's only 2 days til Christmas! I hope ya'll have all your shopping done by now, if not, I'm not judging. I've totally been there. Actually now that I think about it I might be missing a few things I thought I already had...yikes.

Now it's time for some fun blanks -->

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by smiling. I think people tend to take the power of a smile for granted. Try it, next time you're at the check out stand & the grumpy lady behind you is all huffity, give her a small smile, she'll love it (even if her grumpiness doesn't allow it to show).
The things I love most about Christmas is buying & giving gifts. If it didn't get so darn expensive then I'd probably do it more often. Although, I have to admit that getting gifts isn't all that bad either, haha.
The holiday season is a time for family & good food.
My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is turkey tamales, brown sugar glazed ham and pumpkin pie. OMG I'm going to eat so much!
I will be spending Christmas at home with the hubs for a bit, then my grams to see family, and at the hospital. My mom's still in there & isn't doing too great so we'll be heading over there to give her her gifts.
Tis better to (give or receive?) I want to say they're both equally as good but I'm gonna be totally honest & say that I like receiving gifts a teeny bit more. Don't act like you dont, everyone love presents. Everyone.
I'm dreaming of a happy, relaxing, healthy, and peaceful Christmas.

So that's it, hope you guys have a great Friday! Join in on the fun by copying the blanks, filling them in and linking up at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-12-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

1. I'm typing this post in the new blogger layout & I gotta say, it's really creeping me out. I don't like the cleanliness of it all.

2. I should have known not to get too excited about Christmas. Turns out my mom has to have back surgery again sometime this week. Her stupid spine decided it didn't like the feeling of relief so it pushed another (bigger) disk onto her nerves, causing massive pain & semi paralysis. I don't ask for this often but please keep her in your prayers. For me. Thanks.

3. Because of the above mentioned issue we never got around to making Tamales for Christmas dinner. Rusty wants to make a 1/2 ham since it's just gonna be us, my lil bro & dad but with everything that's going on I'm thinking Christmas pizza sounds worry free.

4. I knew it wasn't just me being a smart ass -->

5. I noticed my leggings had two smallish holes in the inner thigh section while putting them on yesterday. Any normal person probably would have taken them off, I shrugged and left them on. That's right, I'm that girl.

6. Cookies automatically make everything better, right? I think I'll attempt to make Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies on Friday.

7. You have no idea how many times I've had to say this to Rusty. I'm one ferocious beast when I'm hungry.

8. I swore to jeebus you'd never find me doing it. But I do...all the time. For hours on end. That's right, I've been sucked into the newest beautified hell hole that is Pinterest. *bows head in shame*

9. The smell of microwaved left over chicken is disgusting. Someone filled the office with it's stench yesterday & I was tempted to go punch them in the gut.

10. This is pretty rad. It even seems idiot proof enough to where I might try it one day. (This is the shit Pinterest is doing to me. Fuck.)

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Got random stuff to get off your chest? Make your own 10 on Tuesday list & link up here...we want to check it out!

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-12-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

How in the hell is already the end of Friday? I swear this day went by way too quickly. I did a lot though. A lot of money spending and shopping. I have to admit, most of the shit I bought I didnt really need. I blame the hubs for not stopping me.

Yup, it's totally his fault.

Now it's time for some Friday fun though, you know, before it's not Friday anymore -->

My most favorite "little thing" is when the hubs makes me his amazing tasting scrambled eggs. No lie, this man can cook eggs like no one else.
I'd give anything for a free maid. My room is disgusting & my bathroom needs a good scrubbing. I know, keep dreaming.
I can't believe that I ended up liking the show '2 Broke Girls', I thought for sure I'd hate it forever. Never say never, I guess.
One thing I'd like to achieve today is not losing my temper. I'm a ticking time bomb sometimes.
The last thing I want to do today is clean. I know it's a must because I'm bound to trip over all the clothes & boxes and break my leg or something but I really dont want to do it. Why can't I just keep it clean?!
If I were writing my own blank today, I'd write "One thing I really want for Christmas is..." and my answer would be a Nook. As much as I've gone back & forth about getting one, they're pretty awesome & I want one.
My favorite scent is the holiday Fabreeze spray I bought a few weeks ago, Apple Spice N' Delight. Holy shit this thing smells amazingly good. No lie, I spray it randomly throughout the day just because. If you see it, buy it.

Hope you all had a great Friday! I'm doing some more shopping tomorrow & I'll probably brave the local mall, pray that I dont get eaten alive by the hipster crowd or that I don't stab one of them.

Join the Fill In The Blank Friday fun by copying the blanks, filling them in & linking up at The Little Things We Do.

2 Broke Girls...Broke My Willpower

2011-12-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to hate them.

The lame jokes, canned laughter, their sometimes annoying ass voices and the blondes giant schnoz...I wanted to hate them all. But alas these girls broke me.

Out of sheer boredom I watched all the episodes and well into the 4th one I thought for sure I was ready to jump off the nearest bridge but I fought through it & finally after the 6th or 7th...not really sure...episode, it happened, I laughed out loud.

And all it took was one pocket sized Asian man named Han.

One thing I for sure love is Max's attitude, no lie, it's like watching myself, but there's something about the show that I just can't stand. Maybe it's because it's a bit annoying. Somewhat boring. Not always funny.

Either way I just couldn't stop watching & I'm bound to do this to myself on a weekly basis from now on. I'm tellin' you, it was like fucking eyeball crack.

Have you seen the show? Do you love it or hate it?

Ten On Tuesday

2011-12-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

1. Fact: The whole Elf on a shelf thing gives me the heebie jeebies. The thought of a tiny elf wondering around my house, touching my stuff, watching me...yeah, I'll pass. Creepo.

2. I was so excited because I thought all but like 4 Christmas gift were bought. Ha! I made a list yesterday & found I still have about 14 items to buy & that stuff doesn't even include stocking stuffers. *head desk*

3. In case any of you are still wondering what to get me for Christmas -->

(source)

4. Did anyone else watch the season finale of Boardwalk Empire? Holy hell, I never saw that ending coming. Ever. If you're a fan & want an inside scoop on the finale & season 3 click here.

5. Um...I honestly don't think I'd be able to look away, haha. And, the tattoos, nice touch.

6. My mom & I are making Tamales on Thursday. I'm pretty excited. Mostly about eating them.

7. The black pants I wear to work are getting those damn holes in the inner thigh. I'm totally claiming it's because they're old and definitely not because of my fat thighs.

8. So I heard Lindsay Lohan's Playboy pics leaked last week & naturally I just had too take a look & see what the big fuss was about. Of course, it wasn't all that impressive, same old "I wanna be just like Marilyn Monroe" bullshit but I have to give it to the make up & editing people cause she actually looks somewhat doable. Somewhat.

9. I'm not even lying, I need this shit on my fridge -->

10. You can bet your sweet cheeks I'll be watching this over the weekend! You should too. That way I have someone to talk to about it. -->

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Create your own random 10 on Tuesday list & link up here so we can all check you out!

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card & Chex Cereal Giveaway {CLOSED}

2011-12-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

The holidays seemed to somehow sneak up on me this year, which means I'll be coming up with nifty little ways to give people homemade and inexpensive gifts. It means more if it's from the heart, right?

This holiday season Chex Cereal wants to help you out and give you different ideas as to how to make Chex Cerea

l more fun. How so? How about starting with a Chex Party Mix-Change instead of the same old boring gift exchange at your holiday party -->

How to throw the ultimate Sam´s Club Chex Party Mix-Change:

Set the date and spread the word. Announce your Chex Party Mix-Change using some of these festive invites
Mix it up. Use these mouth-watering Chex recipe cards including Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch and Hot Buttered Yum Chex Mix and this shopping list to make party
prep a snap
Share the fun. Use some of these easy tips & tricks to add some extra flare to your party and check out some of the packaging ideas so your guests don´t go home empty handed

There are so many ways to make Chex Mix - from salty to sweet, while still staying fun and healthy. Sam's Club also conveniently carries a large 3 pack variety box of Chex Cereal, so there's no need for you spend extra cash on three separate kind of cereals.

Do yourself a favor & mix it up a bit this year. Use these adorable Chex recipe cards and make the delicious Cranberry-Nut Cinnamon Chex Mix o Tropical Island Chex Mix...yum! Not only are all of their listed recipes easy as pie but will surely be a hit & great treat for everyone.

* * * * * * *

~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault winner will win a

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card & Chex Cereal 3pk variety pack!

How to win:

Leave only ONE comment listing ALL of the entries you completed (no multiple comments pls).There's no need to leave multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your optional entries. Also, be sure to leave me an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Chex Party Mix-Change & tell me which recipe you'd like to try making.

Optional Entries:

- Subscribe to this blog via email or reader (left sidebar) - 3 entries

- Like Sam's Club on Facebook - 2 entries

- Follow Sam's Club on Twitter - 2 entries

- Follow me on Twitter - 2 entries

- Tweet this --> "Win $25 @SamsClub Gift Card & Chex Cereal to create your own Chex Party Mix-Change http://bit.ly/sa9cRr @linnysvault #giveaway #MyBlogSpark"- 1 entry (can be done 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Sunday, December 18 @11:59pm (pst).

Winner will be chosen at random, posted the following day & giveaway is open to US residents (18 yrs +) only.

(Disclosure: The above information, $25 Sam's Club gift card & Chex Cereal 3pk variety pack has been provided by Sam's Club, Chex Party Mix,and General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I was provided with a Sam's Club gift card & Chex variety pack in exchange for posting the above information & giveaway. The views & opinions found in this post are mine.)

Distractions...

2011-12-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm in desperate need of a distraction.

My head is about to explode with all these car insurance phone calls, paperwork, and emails. Who the hell knew getting your car completely paid off after an accident would be such a pain in the ass?!

Not me, that's who.

On a plus note, the dealership where I bought my car tells me they have a pretty little 4 digit reimbursement check waiting for me to pick up. Woot!

Gimme gimme gimme!

But...yep, there's a but, I can't pick it up until I have proof that the car's completely paid off. *sigh*

So in case you were wondering how I'm feeling right now you'll be happy to know I'm still irritated and broke, however it is my Friday and I just saw the trailer for this movie -->

So it sort of balanced me back out.

That movie looks funny, cute and I can't stop myself from trying to mimic Emily Blunt's adorable British accent ha-ha.

Anyone have any plans for the weekend? I don't. Hence why I want to know about yours ;)

Ten On Tuesday

2011-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

1. I'm feeling a little guilty about not posting on here since last week, that's a totally normal blogger feeling right? (please say yes, even if it's a lie)

2. Blog reading. I love it but lately I haven't found any time to do it. I sort of feel like I'm ignoring you all & that's where the guilt sets in...a lot. Don't blame me, blame the asshole driver that got my car totaled & has me dealing with insurance companies. And because of this don't think it's strange when you see me finally commenting on your 2wk old posts.

3. Chick-fil-A can do no wrong in my eyes. If you're going to try something new this month, make sure it's their Chocolate Peppermint milk shake. OMG this thing is a minty mouth orgasm, no lie.

4. Staring directly at my husband & making no eye contact with me as he's introducing us not only makes you one of the rudest people I've ever met but also immediately puts you on my bitch list. Forever.

5. I swear to jeebus Christmas parties are the new Halloween. They're just another excuse for the skanks to prance around in the skaniest and act like an annoying college girl, while blaming the booze...keep it ~~Hollywood Blvd.~~classy for the coworkers girls. Lord knows people need something to talk & blog about later ;)

6. In case you all were wondering -->

7. Lately I've realized I take my husband for granted. I'm a total bipolar sarcastic biatch who's somewhat of a nitpicking perfectionist...no lie, I probably would have left myself a long time ago. Dude's a trooper, he must be rewarded.

8. Bahahaha! This is exactly how I picture her telling it. You know, cause she totally looks like a moron.

9. Christmas tree...do you have yours up yet? Our isn't. Honestly, I'm too lazy to go out & find one that's going to cost my broke ass less than $45. And before you tell me to buy a fake one, I can't. I love the real tree smell. So yeah, I guess you say, technically, I don't have a tree because my lazy broke ass has expensive taste.

10. Hot naked gladiators, fighting, blood, gore & drama. Yes please!

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Make your own 10 on Tuesday list. You know there's random crap you want to get out of your brain so do it. The best part is, we actually want to read it.

Link up here -->

Pineapple Apricot Empanadas & $25 Hodgson Mill Giveaway

2011-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Last night I tweeted a photo of the Pineapple Apricot Empanada beauties I had concocted & promised to post the recipe today, which I'll get to in a minute but first I want to thank Hodgson Mill for inspiring me to make them and providing me with the best darn all natural Whole Wheat Flour I've ever tasted. Really, it doesn't taste like wood!

I like you guys though so I'm not going to lie to you, my mom helped me bake them. Don't judge, it's hard to write down measurements, mix, take photos & stop yourself from eating all the filling when you're on your own.

Pineapple Apricot Empanadas

(dough)

3 1/2 cup Hodgson Mill All Natural Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/4 cup Hodgson Mill All Natural Bread Flour

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp baking powder

(filling)

2 cans crushed pineapple

1/2 cup apricot preserve

1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

- In large bowl combine all dough ingredients together (minus bread flour) by hand. Gradually add bread flour, folding dough into itself. Dough should be stiff, hold its shape & no longer be sticky. If it is, add a bit more bread flour.

- Sprinkle some flour on flat surface and place dough on it. Roll dough back and forth until it rolls into a 4 inch thick burrito shape (sprinkle flour on flat surface if it begins to stick). Cut dough into 2 inch sections using a knife (I used my hand) and set pieces aside on floured surface.

- Grab a piece of dough, place on floured surface and using a rolling pin, flatten it out to resemble tortilla.

- In medium bowl combine the filling ingredients. Scoop about 2 spoonfuls of filling onto one side of flattened dough (avoid edges), fold other side of dough onto the filling side and secure edges by pressing them together with a fork.

- Place Empanada on a lightly greased cookie sheet and repeat above instructions on remaining dough pieces.

- Before placing them in the oven, mix 1 egg in a small bowl and brush egg onto the tops of Empanadas for a golden look. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Note: Recipe can be made w/white flour as well. Simply substitute it for the whole wheat flour & bread flour...just don't count it being as healthy ;)

* * * * * * * *

~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault reader will win a

$25 Hodgson Mill Gift Certificate

About Hodgson Mill: It's a family owned company with more than 125 years’ experience producing delicious stone ground, whole grain and organic foods made from premium quality, whole grain, including flours, corn meals, cereals, baking mixes, pastas and more. Since 1882, their family of employees has been grinding 100% whole grain to create wholesome, naturally healthy food – with no artificial preservatives, additives or colorings.

How to win

Leave only ONE comment listing ALL of the entries you completed (no multiple comments pls). There's no need to leave multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your optional entries. Also, be sure to leave me an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry

Tell me one item you'd buy from Hodgson Mill's online store if you won.

Optional Entries

- Subscribe to this blog via email &/or reader (left side bar). - 4 entries

- Like Hodgson Mill on Facebook. - 3 entries

- Follow Hodgson Mill on Twitter. - 3 entries

- Subscribe via email to Hodgson Mill's food blog. - 3 entries

- Tweet this --> "Have a Grain Holiday!" by entering to win a $25 Hodgson Mill gift certificate- http://bit.ly/u3lAsI #giveaway @linnysvault @HodgsonMillInc - 2 entries (can be done daily)

Giveaway will end on Thursday, December 8 @11:59pm (pst).

Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day. Giveaway open to US residents only. For more chances to win Hodgson Mill products go here, they're giving away 50 Baker's Gift Pack's valued at $85.

(Disclosure: This giveaway is being sponsored by Hodgson Mill. I received Hodgson Mill All Natural Whole Wheat Flour & Bread Flour in order to bake an item of my choice from scratch (which will be entered into their Grain Holiday Contest) & post about it. I was not monetarily compensated for this post & the views/opinions in this post are my own.The giveaway item will be sent to the winner by Hodgson Mill, not by myself.)

Ten On Tuesday

2011-11-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

1. Holy shitballs you guys...did you watch the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead? It was SO good! The ending, totally saw it happening. Sad stuff right there though. Also, as much as Shane makes the show worth watching with his pyscho personality, I was really hoping someone would just shoot him already.

2. I feel bloated. Like zombie in a water well kinda bloated. I blame the 15 lbs of ham I ate the last few days. Damn that delicious ham! *shakes fist*

3. Ha, I was just thinking this.

4. For future reference, your body doesn't store all of those wonderful hours you slept in on your week off for days (like today) when you need them.

5. Remember that car accident I was in two weeks ago? Turns out my car's not reparable. Good news is I get a clean slate to buy a new one, bad news is I still have to deal with 2 insurance companies taking over 30 days to pay it completely off so I can't get financed for a new one until then. Even worse news is they're taking away my rental on Friday & I work 60 miles from home. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. If you need me I'll be hiding out in my closet until my fairy godmother makes this shit go away & brings back my beloved car.

6. This post just published early. Like I'm only at #5 kind of early. I hate it when that happens.

7. Aw, this totally made my pissy pants attitude take a back seat. This is totally me & Rusty.

8. Sometimes I get little jealous when bloggers claim they get hateful comments on their blog. I love that you all are down with my views but it's like...wth, am I not cool enough to be unliked? I know, there's something terribly wrong with me.

9. It's December on Thursday. How in the world did the entire year get passed me & why didn't it allow me to go on a grand vacation to a beautiful tropical island, where, I'm not going to lie, I'd probably spend all day inside the hotel & scarf down tons of room service and booze? *sigh* Maybe next year...

10. Um...I just realized I'm up to 402 followers. You guys fucking rock my colorful socks off! No lie, you guys & this blog keep me sane. i'm going to have to think of something awesome to giveaway to you guys in December...gift card to Victoria's Secret? 2 pack Movie Tix? Jewelry? Feel free to chime in, cause it's gonna be for you guys ;)

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Make your own random 10 on Tuesday list & share it with us by linking up! I promise we'll leave comments. Nice ones too.

$25 Kroger Gift Card Winner

2011-11-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Again, I'm late in announcing a giveaway winner...sorry guys. I really don't have an excuse other than my brain still thinks it's vacation time.

So finally here's the lucky winner of the $25 Kroger gift card -->

Congratulations Dealsfan32!

Thanks to all of you who entered this giveaway, I wish you all could have won. Unfortunately that's totally unrealistic. Lame. But the good news is I'll have another giveaway up in a few more days...yay!

(winner has 48hrs to claim the item by responding to my email. If item is not claimed a new winner will be chosen.)

Too Much...

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been home since Thursday & I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday. This is something I was VERY fucking excited about...last week. Today, the rooms seems smaller and the walls are coming in to crush the life out of me. When I tell people I could never be a stay at home wife/mom I mean it. I do. These last couple of days have been full of too much (not always) good stuff -->

Shoveled way too much food into my bottomless gullet.
Went to too many stores.
Spent way too much money.
Watched too much TV...no lie, the circles under my eyes look like I got into a brawl on black friday. Woof!
Overslept too much.
Made too much a mess in my bedroom. There's clothes everywhere, it's like it was ransacked.
And finally, spent way too much money. Oh, I said that already? Well it totally deserves to be said again because I did. I spent way. too. much.

I can't believe I'm saying this shit but I'm ready to go back to work. And just so you guys know, I'll probably be eating those words after a day or two so there's no need to throw it in my face later.

What did ya'll do too much of this week weekend?

Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover Recipes...Mexican Style

2011-11-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

That turkey may be all nice & frozen right now but in about a day or two you'll be wishing you'd never seen that giant bird in your kitchen. And, if you're anything like my dad, you'll be telling us to get all evidence of it out of the house before he hurls. Haha...yeah, he can be pretty dramatic.

But the truth is there's no reason why you should let that meat go to waste. Hell no, that's good money right there. All you really have to do is reinvent it & toss it into other food. Sort of like you have to do when those darn kids won't eat their vegetables.

Here are some of my favorite ways to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey -->

Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Casserole

You need: Shredded turkey, corn tortillas, Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce, Mexican cheese mixture, and medium baking dish. (optional: onion, olives)

Directions: Pour 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish, lay single layer of tortillas flat on bottom of baking dish, top with shredded turkey, cheese (& extras), and coat with more enchilada sauce. Repeat until you reach top of baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 mins.

Tacos Dorados (Taquitos)

You need: Corn tortillas, shredded turkey, garlic, chopped onions, cooking oil (your choice), sour cream, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes. (optional: cheese, salsa, salt, pepper)

Directions: Heat oil in skillet, add onion & garlic, saute until aromatic (stir often). Add shredded turkey, mix & allow to cook together for 5 or so mins & put aside. Place tortillas in ziplock bag, microwave for 30-45 seconds. Top each tortilla with turkey mix & roll into taquito. Place taquito seem side down on floil-lined baking sheet & brush taquito with a bit of veggie oil. Bake all taquitos until filling is heated through & tortillas are light brown (8-12 mins). Serve hot & top with sour cream, lettuce, salsa & cheese.

Turkey Fajitas

You need: Chopped turkey, red/green/yellow sliced bell peppers, sliced onion, minced garlic, salt & black pepper (to taste), 1 thinly sliced jalapeno, olive oil & tortillas. (optional: sour cream, salsa, diced avocado)

Directions: Heat oil in skillet, add onion, garlic, peppers, jalapeno & cook until caramelized a bit (about 5 mins). Add in turkey, salt & black pepper and cook on high until a bit brown (5-8 mins). Warm tortillas, place fajita mix in middle & top with extras. *note: make it easy on yourself & buy fajita blend frozen veggies.

So there you have it, things you can do with your leftover bird other than toss it down the garbage disposal or let it rot in your trash can. And as an authentic Mexican I can vouch for these recipes being really freakin' good. And of most importantly, easy.

Lord knows you don't want to be stuck in the damn kitchen after Thursday. Good luck guys!

Ten On Tuesday

2011-11-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

1. I only have to get through today & tomorrow & I don't have to be back to work until next Tuesday. Fuck yeah!

2. I can't wait for the next Breaking Dawn movie to come out. Not because I actually want to watch that no talent/one expression actress but because it'll finally be over. Finally.

3. You can bet your sweet behind that this will be made this weekend...yum!

4. Out of my gazillion pet peeves I've recently noticed that there's one that irks me beyond belief. I can honestly say I'd like to strangle every person who exclaims "I have a new blog up!" because in reality you don't have a new "blog" up, you have a new "blog post" up. Get it right dammit.

5. Screw Thanksgiving turkey, bring on the ham!

6. Oh, don't even pretend to act like you've never done this before. I actually did it the other night because I was to lazy to walk up the stairs to our bedroom.

7. Question: E -book readers, worth it or kind of a waste?

8. My life's been so boring lately, I'm not even lying when I say it consists of work, driving, eating, watching tv, playing on my phone, occasional blog post reading & sleeping. That's it. So if you've been wondering why the posts around this place have been scarce...well, now you know the reason. Unless of course you'd like to read about how much I suck at Words w/Friends or hate traffic? No? Didn't think so.

9. Speaking of phones & blog post reading: I've noticed a lot of the blogs I read don't have their nifty mobile template activated in blogger...why? It's super simple & as a (sometimes) mobile reader I'm going to be totally blunt with you, if I can't read it in the mobile template I skip it. I heart you guys big time, don't make me skip yours.

(click here to enlarge)

10. You'd think that finding a photo to place on a Christmas card would be generally easy as Rusty & I are two very photogenic people (yeah right) but no lie, it took me almost 3hrs to find & edit a photo of us to use. And, you know what I ended up using? A picture taken by a cell phone camera at Friday's concert outing. Yep, I'm definitely keeping it classy up in here. And in case you haven't heard, I'm being super duper giving this year & offering to send you a ~~very~~ small gift for Christmas.

* * * * * * * * *

Make your own random 10 on Tuesday list & link up here, the place where random lives.

It's Exactly What I Wanted Because I Picked It...

2011-11-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas.

Actually, let me rephrase that, I love getting gifts on Christmas.

But then again, who doesn't, right?

I'd say I'm a pretty lucky gal when it comes to gifts since Rusty's always really good about getting me everything I want . From shoes to movies to jewelry to books...they're all under the tree just waiting for me to open them up.

The thing I'm not in love with though? Having to go with him to buy all of those nifty Christmas gifts.

Honestly, I don't mean to be all little Ms. Nitpick but opening all your gifts on Christmas just isn't as much fun when you already know what's in every cute bag & wrapped box.

Oh, what a cute sweater! How did you know I wanted THIS one, in THIS color?! Oh, that's right, I was there when you bought it & even tried it on. Great gift hon.

See, totally kicks the fun right in the balls.

Yesterday Rusty (and I) started shopping for my gift(s). He's already got 2 down & as far as I can tell ~~he's~~ we've got a few more to go. I was thinking about maybe giving him a general list of things I want but I'm afraid I'll end up with a toothbrush and too small size pants or even worse, a box full of dollar bills because he just gave up.

Men...they're adorable, just like kids.

Please tell me I'm not the only one that shops for her own gifts! Give a girl some pointers, how do you get your guy to buy you things you won't have to return later? And, what's on your Christmas wish list? I need ideas peeps.

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-11-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

So glad it's Friday (well, almost)!

Rusty & I are planning on going to a see a concert with a No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Pearl Jam cover bands on Friday night. I'm pretty excited since we haven't really spent too much time together. Hoping for a great night...but now it's time for some fun -->

A nervous habit I have is picking at my lips when they're dry. They get especially dry in the winter time & when I get nervous I tend to pick & pick until I bleed. I know, totally strange.
Something that makes me mad is rude, no mannered people. How difficult is it to say "excuse me" or "please"? Ever heard of being able to get more bees with honey than vinegar? In other words, stop being an asshole & be nice.
Today I am thankful for the love of my husband, the security of our relationship and the friendship we have. Can't get better than that, right?
My favorite room in my house is my bedroom. I can relax, sleep, write, blog, and watch tv in there...p-e-r-f-e-c-t.
I can't stand melon. Every time I see it out I can't help but torture myself by tasting a piece but within seconds I regret that stupid decision. Why must it look so delicious but taste SO bad?!
If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would either buy myself those awesome $46 Levi's I mentioned last week or go over to Helmart & put Rusty's Xbox 360 Christmas gift on layaway. Yeah, I said it...layaway. I'm totally poor folk like that. So what.
The last person I hung out with was my younger bro & mom. I know, totally cool. Ya'll wanna be like me. Actually, I don't know if you'd count it as hanging out since we just carpooled. Oh, well I'm still counting it cause I really haven't had time to 'hang out' with anyone for a while.

Have a great & fun Friday guys! Want to join in on the fun? Simply copy the blanks, fill them in, and link up at The Little Things We Do.

Naughty Or Nice...You'll Still Get Something

2011-11-17T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking that I want to actually send out Christmas cards this year instead of simply signing them & letting them sit on my nightstand until after New Years. You do that too, right?

I'll go ahead & pretend you said yes.

So, this is where you peeps come in...I want to send you guys a Christmas card. I could always send them to family but they're pretty boring & not very cool.

If you want to get a ~~super cool~~ pretty generic Christmas Card, but awesomely signed by yours truly, to put on your mantle all you have to do is forward me your mailing info via email @ hollygolightly0831 at gmail dot com

I may just be feeling a little extra joyous when sending them out & toss in a little something extra in your envelope. Maybe.

image via

Kroger's Helping You Save & Giving Away A $25 Gift Card!

2011-11-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Times are tough & everyone (including myself) is finding themselves trying to save every little penny, especially with the holidays being literally right around the corner.

General Mills & Kroger have teamed up to so that you can save even more money when shopping at your local Kroger store. How so? By purchasing any four participating General Mills products* that your family knows & loves and Kroger will reward you for your purchase. It's that simple!

From November 13 - 26, with the purchase of any 4 participating General Mills products, you will either receive FREE milk (up to $3; limit 2) or receive $3 off your shopping order (check local store for details).

Next time you're out shopping make sure to look for some of your favorite GM products like Cheerios, Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookies, Nature Valley and Fiber One Bars. There's nothing better than being rewarded for already shopping for your favorite products, right? Visit Kroger.com for more info, store locations and great ways to save.

* * * * * * * * *

~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault reader will win a

$25 Kroger Gift Card

How To Win

Leave ONE comment listing all of the entries you've completed (example: I'm stocking up on cheerios. I follow Kroger on FB. Follow on Twitter. I tweeted). There's NO need for you to leave multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your optional entries. Also, be sure to leave me an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry

Tell me which General Mills products you plan on stocking up on during this promotion at Kroger.

Optional Entries

- Subscribe to this blog via email &/or reader (left side bar). - 4 entries

- Like Kroger on Facebook. - 3 entries

- Follow Kroger on Twitter. - 3 entries

- Tweet this--> " Enter to win a $25 Kroger Gift card...just in time for the holidays! http://bit.ly/tmw4VB @linnysvault #giveaway " - 2 entries (can be done daily)

Giveaway will end on Friday, November 25 @11:59pm (pst) so you can hopefully receive before doing your Christmas grocery shopping. Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day.

(Disclosure: This giveaway & information have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I received a gift card for posting & hosting this giveaway. I was not monetarily compensated for this post & the views/opinions in this post are my own.)

*Excludes General Mills meal & baking products including: Betty Crocker, Old El Paso, Progresso, Hamburger Helper, Macaroni Grill, Wanchai Ferry, Yoplait.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-11-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

1. The Hunger Games: I tried reading the first chapter of the book & instantly thought it was a giant snorefest however the trailer for the movie...yowza, it looks really good. I'm not saying I'll give the book another go but I will most definitely be watching the movie.

2. Having an extra day off is almost as fun as having amazingly selfish sexy time.

3. This weekend had so much potential for greatness but thanks to an unlicensed/uninsured jackass driver I had to deal with having my car towed, filing an insurance claim, getting a rental car, and leaving $100 mandatory deposit for it (cause you know, I have SO much money laying around). Here's how I spent most of my Saturday -->

4. Driving a black pimped out Dodge Charger makes me feel like an instant doucher. No lie, I feel like I need huge bug eyed sunglasses, big hooped earring & a bump-it to go with the car.

5. I received a very unexpected call from a very unexpected person yesterday, she offered to help me out monetarily because of all the shit I have going on right now. I love her with all my big-o blog heart for reaching out to me even though we barely know each other, she did something not even my family has done. (Thanks sweets, you're giant heart never ceases to amaze me!)

6. Starbucks is having their famous "Buy 1 Get 1 FREE" Holiday Drink promotion! Stop by your local 'bucks (douchey right? blame the car) November 17 - 20 from 2 - 5pm to get yours...I know I will.

7. Yes indeed.

8. I may or may not be totally addicted to Hanging with Friends. I have yet to play Words with Friends but if it's as fun as the other one then you guys may never hear from me again. Damn thing is addicting. Addicting I tell ya! (play w/me, I'm linthegreat)

9. As much as I try to buckle down & pre-schedule blog posts I can't for the life of me stick to it. I know there are bloggers out there that will write 2-10 future posts but I just can't do it. There's something about putting out live meaningful & real posts. The way I see it is if I feel something now, I want you guys to read about now, not in 4 days...

10. Thanksgiving is next week...holy shit, I'm not ready. Well I'm ready to scarf down all that food but definitely not ready to cook it all. If at all possible, send a talented chef my way please. Thanks.

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Make your own 10 on Tuesday list & link up here so we can all check you out!

Christmas Cards From Tiny Prints... Perfect!

2011-11-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Rusty & I don't normally send out Christmas cards. It's not so much because we don't want to but more because I tend to be very, um...forgetful. Oopsy.

One thing I can always count on though is getting family cards by good old snail mail. Each year we usually post up our cards on one of the end tables but this year I'm thinking of changing it up a bit by hanging them from ribbon on the garland that'll be on our staircase. Cute, right?

This year I think I may actually follow through with sending out my cards because with the adorable selection of holiday cards that Tiny Prints has to offer, I definitely don't want them going to waste. My face on other people's coffee table, ah yes please.

Here a few of my top faves:

Christmas Collage: Khaki - Love that it looks semi homemade. The tree & snowman totally look like something I'd draw, haha.

Sheer Collage- These colors are so eye-catching & I've never seen a card that opens that way, totally unique.

Spreading Happiness - Santa on the roof of a red Bug that you & your sweety are inside of it...yes please!

Partridge Tree - Traditional, simple & fun. Three things that I always look for in my cards. Also, aren't those birds so adorable?!

Colorful Wreath - I used to place our greeting cards on the Christmas tree but they never stayed on correctly, a problem I wouldn't have had if they used these cuties. I have a thing for colorful circles.

Freakin' cute aren't they!? Oh, you know they are. So, I think you guys should totally head on over to Tiny Prints & check out the rest of their selection & maybe if you find one you like you can even send me one as a thank you *wink*.

p.s.

If you peeps want to help out in getting the word out about Tiny Prints, you can join the campaign here.

(Disclosure: Tiny Prints compensated me with holiday cards in exchange for this post. I was not monetarily compensated for this post & the views/opinions in this post are my own.)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-11-10T22:50:00.000-08:00

Bring on the weekend! Although it's not going to be at all like I planned, I'm still really really looking forward to it and the mornings where I don't have to hear that damn alarm ring at 4am. It's the little things people.

My favorite new blog of the moment is ...I have a couple. I follow about 250 blogs & I love them all for different reasons but if I had to chose one that never ever fails to entertain me & make me laugh out loud it would have to be Absolutely Narcissism. Sandra has no qualms about discussing holding in farts during yoga, her kids going through puberty, and showing off her amazing ass abs.
Something I am thankful for is the very cold Dr. Pepper that is sitting in our fridge just waiting to be inhaled by the Rusty...or myself. I may or may not have to fight him for it.
Something that made me laugh this week is the newest episode of Bored to Death. Jonathan going out on a stakeout with his impostor to photograph Furries...hilarious stuff!
An item that is currently on my wish list is this pair of awesome Levi jeans that I found at Kohls. They're stretchy but still jean-like, basically perfect except for the fact they cost more than I've ever been willing to pay for a pair of pants. $46 for something that goes on my ass...hmm, I think I'll pass. For now.
I am excited about this long weekend. The best part, I have Monday off too. 4 day weekend for the win up in here!
If I were a color I would be yellow. I can't tell you why because I don't really know but it just seemed fun & I like being fun.
My favorite way to spend a chilly fall day is by hanging out at a bookstore with a Peppermint Mocha in my hand or at home watching TV & sipping hot chocolate.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a great & fun weekend. Join in on the fun by copying the blanks, filling them out and linking up at The Little Things We Do.

Too Much Phone For Me...

2011-11-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

So most of you already know that I got myself a new handy dandy grown up phone over the weekend (btw, if you want to read about my bad shopping experience for it go here) and it's all nifty and stuff but there's only one problem...

I have no freakin' clue what to do on it. You know, other than use it to make calls.

I really hate to admit this but it's just too much phone for me. I know for a fact I'm not using it to it's full potential (something that would for sure make my nerd husband all sorts of sad). I'm not gonna lie to you guys, my last phone was super dumbed down.

Like a 5 yr old could use it without any help kinda dumbed down.

It consisted of 1 task bar with like 12 options, a key pad & some very straight forward buttons (i.e. call, hang up, OK, speaker). Now I have this techy touch screen thing with a zillion different apps (did you know there's a vibrator app? Yes, ma'am!), a menu with as many options as a restaurants', and a camera that takes better photos than any camera I've ever had.

These are my current cool kid apps:

I know, by the looks of my apps I'm either 16 or 45. Leave me alone.

So my question to you all helpful peeps is...what cool (or non cool, I don't judge) apps do you have that I should have?

Ok...go!

Note: The Google maps app has to be the best thing that ever happened to me. This thing helped me avoid a major traffic jam the other day. Being as it normally takes me 50 mins to get home, I value any millisecond I don't have to spend in that car, on that damned freeway. Fellow commuters, you know what I'm talkin' bout.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

1. There's just something about Dean Martin's song 'Aint that A Kick In The Head' that puts a smile on my face.

2. Um...why didn't you guys tell me NBC's new show, Grimm was so fucking amazing? Shame on you!

3. Rusty got news this morning that he didn't get that position he interviewed for. Of course he's in a bummy mood now & I'm thinking it's ice cream buffet time tonight.

4. I'm finally one of the cool kids. I upgraded my nerdy eco-friendly-made-of-corn phone to an Android. To be totally honest, I have no clue what I'm doing on it most of the time. I know for sure it can make calls & receive texts...now if I can only figure out the other 5,000 things it does. Also, apps...fuck, there are SO many!

5. Replace sometimes with always. (and yes I'm aware this probably means I could use some anger management.)

6. Rusty & I are going to a family wedding this weekend. Normally I'd be happy since it's about 3 hrs away (road trip! woot!) but my best blog pal Tracy is also having her baby shower the same day. Hence there's a bit of the sads' up in here. Is it wrong that I was actually contemplating asking them to change their wedding date?

7. As much as I bitched & bitched about the heat, I'm not very fond of this cold ass weather that I have to deal with in the mornings. Leather seats & cold weather = me screaming out loud & shivering. 36 degrees...no thank you.

8. I feel like I'm betraying myself by saying this but I think I actually want to see this movie. *bows head in shame* Although, I'm still sticking to my guns when it comes to thinking he was funnier when he was fat. Also, Channing Tatum is hot. That is all.

9. Please tell me that I'm not the only one that's being brought down by the time change. I handled Sunday just fine but Monday...holy hell, it was the longest & most tiring day evah and having the sun go down sooner is not helping. at. all.

10. This is totally my thought process:

(click to enlarge)

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Make your own random10 on Tuesday list for all of us to check out! Just remember to link up -->

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I came home late last night & got to sleep in way late this morning...god I love Fridays!

My favorite thing about this week was/is Rusty getting up out of bed & running to B&N to meet a stranger who wanted to buy something I had on Craigslist. He knew I was in complete freak out mode cause I was in a different county at the time but needed that money SO badly for our car payment so he sucked it up & met up with a stranger (aka: possible raper) because he knew we needed it.
Colder weather makes me snuggly. Normally I'm not that at all so Rusty loves it when the cold weather comes, ha-ha.
Three things that make me terribly happy as of late are watching Once Upon A Time, spending time with my husband, and baking pumpkin pie. There's nothing better than fairy tales, love and the smell of those spices filling your house.
If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I'd choose my black Converse. Hands down the best shoes evah.
My personality type is ...a little bit of everything, I guess. I was going to take one of those quizzes but I don't have the brain for it right now so I'll say that I'm quiet but can be pretty outspoken, get shit done, I'm stubborn, supportive, cranky, lovable...a little bit of everything.
I have a serious problem resisting food. I can't really say it's a particular kind...it's all food in general. I'm blaming my mom always telling me to finish all my food, there are kids starving all over the world.
My favorite color to wear is purple & denim jeans. I was never a fan of the color purple until a few months ago but it's a very appealing & fun color for anyone to wear.

Happy Friday guys, hope you all have a great weekend!

Join in on the fun by copying the blanks, filling them out on your blog & link up at The Little Things We Do.

It Can't Rain All The Time

2011-11-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

That was one of my favorite quotes from The Crow. Not only did the very hot (and sadly deceased) Brandon Lee say it which made it that much cooler but it's true.

Things won't be shitty forever. Only for a while. A little while.

I was in a deep dark hole, throwing myself a pitty party, for the last week or so. Things *cough* money *cough* got really tight and we had to borrow from future paydays & of course with Christmas being next month ... holy hell how did the year pass so quickly?!... my anxiety is only getting more & more insane.

I'm trying to stay positive. Trying to see that beautiful glass of cool refreshing strawberry lemonade half-full instead of empty because if I don't I'm afraid I might just feel the sudden urge to 'punch a bubble boy', as Rusty would put it.

After posting the 10 on Tuesday post yesterday, asking if you all had a couple $1000 measly bucks laying around & ya'll informed me you in fact did not, I came to the realization that I'm not the only person who's having money issues. Fuck. We're all broke.

So I re-posted an item that hadn't sold for the last 2 months on craigslist, hoping maybe someone would need it as much as I needed their money to make last months car payment.

And...sure enough by 7pm it was sold!

I'm not much of a believer in the big G-O-D, I know there's something bigger than us out there but this happening when I needed it the most, when I was minutes from bursting into frustrated tears, has me believing that it won't and most definitely can't rain all the time.

Thanks for sticking around through all my ups & downs peeps. Even if it is just to point & laugh at me, I love you guys almost as much as I love Cherry Pepsi.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-11-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

1. My brain has about a zillion things going through it right now. I'm stressed over everything and I'm tired. Really tired. Anyone have $1,000 I can borrow? No? Well it was worth a try.

2. I always assumed being in a hospital meant you were being well taken care of being nursed back to health but seeing how my mom is being treated after having her back surgery I've come to the conclusion that some are heartless bastards who prefer to have you all vegetabled-up on pain meds in order to not have to deal with you. Not cool.

3. *sigh* Yep. This sounds about right.

4. Rusty has an interview at his job for a position that has stable hours, please cross your fingers for him. This wife needs stability, I'm going bonkers not knowing what crazy hours he'll have next week...if any.

5. Adults trick or treating with no kids is a big fat fucking no-no. Grow up & buy your own damn bag of candy!

6. Can someone please send Santa a memo saying it would be in my best interest if we postponed Christmas for at least another 3 months? Thanks.

7. Work gave me a new computer, which is awesome, but the double screens are SO big that I can't stare at them for longer than 10 minutes without getting blind spots. These damn things are bigger than most of the tv's I had during my childhood. Sunglasses at work might become a necessity. 18 inches...a little too big for me. <-- that's what she said (sorry, I just had to do it)

8. Once Upon A Time may just be new favorite show of the fall season! When I first heard about it last year I was totally against it cause I didn't think the story line would work out but...yeah, I've totally been proven wrong. It takes me back to believing in fairy tales, even Rusty loves it.

9. I may or may not have posted a sign on the door last night reading "out of candy, sorry" even though we had a giant bowl full. In my defense, it was 8pm & we had to be up by 4am and I had to watch Sunday's episode of Homeland...which was fantabulous.

10. I don't care what anyone says, Kim Kardashian & Kris whatever-his-name-is married for publicity & money. There was no love, only business contracts. That is all.

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Come up with your own 10 on Tuesday & link up here so we can all check you out!

My Old School Halloween Movie Faves...

2011-10-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween!

Yesterday I spent all day in bed watching some of the best movies evah made in the 70's, 80's & 90's...yep those were years that made the classics. Not like the crap they're making now with these lame-o paranormal mocumentary movies.

Get with the program ya'll cause this is totally where it's at for Halloween.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

No one can watch this movie without questioning their sexuality, I know I did. Fine, don't admit it...we all know the truth anyway. Tim Curry owned those platform heels like a champ & I don't know one single person who doesn't sing along to 'The Timewarp'. Rusty has the entire soundtrack on his IPod, it's our go to road trip music.

Little Shop of Horrors

Not only is every classic comedian in this movie but the songs are catchy as hell. Also, Audrey...wowza can anyone have a bigger rack? My favorite thing to do while watching this movie is trying to mimic the way she pronounces things, cracks me up every time! Now go..."Feed Me Seymour, Feed Me"

Beetlejuice

There are certain things you just never say 3x in a row & his name is one of them. There was a time when I couldn't watch this movie without the lights on because he scared the crap out of me, especially when he turns into the carousal monster...eek!

Hocus Pocus

If I ever come across witches that want to steal my soul I hope they're as cool & idiodic as these three, haha. I remember being 10 & wanting to have witch powers & a flying broom. My dad actually caught me trying to ride a broom once, needless to say he still asks if I'm trying to ride my broom when he see's me with one in my hand *bows head in shame*.

What are some of your favorite cheesy Halloween movies? Will you be dressing up this year?

I'm not, I'm totally ~~broke~~ lame like that this year.

Winners...Winners...I've Got Winners!

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I really haven't written about much lately, I have a lot of stuff going on...hence the very late posting of winners for the book & EdenFantasys giveaways. Lame I know, but whatevs...deal with it peeps.

Moving on to the winners!

In the Belly of Jonah & Lot's Return To Sodom Book giveaway

Congratulations My4Boysand1!

*****

EdenFantasys $50 giveaway

Congratulations Anonymous (Rux)!

Winners have 48hrs to claim their giveaway item by responding to my email. If the item is not claimed, a new winner will be chosen.

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's Friday, finally. This week went by so slowly that I'm just glad it's over. I don't have anything planned for the weekend other than making a kick ass tasting pumpkin pie, which is a bit of a bummer but hanging out & relaxing at home is always a good thing, right?

Now it's time for some fun stuff -->

When I was a kid I wanted to be an elementary school teacher when I grew up.
As an adult, my dream job would be a tourist guide in a tropical/beachy place. Something I could consider fun & not dread to do every morning.
When I was younger I wanted to be just like Jem from Jem & The Holograms, ha-ha. Damn, I wanted those earrings so bad.
The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was a ballerina in preschool. There was something about that tu-tu that I loved.
My favorite childhood toy was my Cabbage Patch doll. I took her little stuffed ass everywhere with me. My dad even put a basket on the front of my bike so I could take her with me when I rode around.
The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid was when stole clothes from a store & had to have my parents pick me up after getting caught. Yep, I'm lame. I was also 15 & angry at the world. Worst part is I actually had a pocket full of money so there was no need to steal. Dumb ass.
I get daily inspiration from *sigh* um...Rusty, fellow bloggers, and things I see on the telly(yeah I totally went British there). I guess it just depends on the day.

Happy Friday guys, hope you all have a fun weekend!

Join in on the FITB fun by copying them, filling them in & then linking up at The Little Things You Do.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-10-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

1. I had a list of like 8 things for today's post that I created over the weekend but left it at work. You know, the place I was supposed to be at today instead of bumming it in bed with Rusty.

2. If you're one of those women who's bodies bounced back to it's tight fit self after carrying around a human in it for 9 months then I'd just like to say "Congratulations...I hate you."

3. Bad Teacher = Bad Movie

4. After 8 yrs of marriage, this is one awesome compliment.

5. I plan on only giving each kid 1-2 pieces of candy on Halloween versus the handful we normally give because that shit's expensive & I only bought 2 bags (or as Rusty put it, we're on a level 3 candy ration). Rusty's also decided to stay away from the front door in case kids decide to revolt.

6. Could this be any more adorable?!

7. Sometimes I like to talk in an English accent. Especially while watching Law & Order: UK...I've also found that I'm really bad at it. fyi: this hasn't stopped me from trying.

8. Seeing the hubs carry our new nephew has got my ovaries going buzurk so I suppose you can say we're "trying" now. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe. For this week anyway. Or until I get tired of the clean up...I never knew how easy I had it.

9. Please tell me I'm not the only one that has a love/hate relationship with a certain blog. There's this girls' blog that I've read for years but she recently changed her blog direction & now I can't stand her, yet I can't stop reading. It's like I like torturing myself with stupidity.

10. CA state taxes, car registration renewal fees, school system, gun laws, you suck! All you really got going for you now is the nice weather, hot waiters trying to be actors, and great beaches...work your shit out or you're going to loose your residents to Texas or Nevada. None of which I'd like to actually live in but I will do. Especially if you continue to charge me 60% of my car registration fee as a 30 day late fee.

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List your own 10 on Tuesday & link up here so I can check you out!

The Bar's Too High

2011-10-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

I did it to myself.

I'm usually pretty smart when it comes to these types of things but I really screwed myself over the weekend.

You know when you're first meeting someone you want to make a good impression so you put on some great clothes, do your hair all nice like & even put on a bit of the old face paint?

Well, I normally tend to go the opposite route by wearing my old comfy jeans, worn down Converse, hair in a ponytail & zero make up because I figure if they first see me at my worst then they have nothing else to do but be impressed when they see me any other way.

Great thinking, I know.

But I effed up this weekend, not once but twice, because not only did I attend a blogger media mash-up (which was super fun & I even got a cool gift at) looking all fresh & dolled up this weekend but I also met a couple of Rusty's coworkers for the first time when I picked him up. Some of you may be thinking I'm insane, I should be glad they saw me all glam & even happy that one of Rusty's co-worker fellas' told him 'nice job' when he found out I was his wife & not just a girl that happened to be walking next to him and honestly I would be totally cool with it all if that's what I normally looked like. But I don't.

Not by a damn long shot.

I don't wear make-up, I don't comb my curly frizzy hair, I only own one pair of jeggings & it's super rare that I find a shirt that hides my belly fluff so big sweaters are totally my best friends.

I've set the bar high up there people...too high for my liking.

The only place to go from here is down, which is not good cause I actually hate the falling parts of roller coasters. Good news is the probability of running into these people again is slim. Bad news is, Rusty's co-workers probably talked to each other about seeing my awesomeness so this will definitely lead to anxiety problems when trying to find something to wear to his company Christmas party. Eek, the pressure!

Word to the wise: Keep the bar low peeps.

Not Lohan low, more like a downtime Jennifer Garner kind of low. You know, we don't want people thinking you're a hobo or anything.

Do you dress to impress or just say 'fuck it' when you're going to meet people for the first time?

Sam's Club Gift Card Giveaway Winner

2011-10-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

We have a winner!

The lucky person to win the $25 Sam's Club gift card is

Congratulations Charlene!

Thank you to everyone who participated, I really wish you all could have won. Maybe one day, when I win the lottery ha-ha.

Winner has 48hrs to claim the item by responding to my email. If the item is not claimed, a new winner will be chosen.

Cinderella11pm: $100 Amazon.com Military Moms Giveaway

2011-10-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been keeping up with the gibberish I put down on this here blog you already know that I'm pretty fond of my gal pal Cinderella11pm. Not only is she generous & fun but she loves giving things away to her blog readers too.

That means FREE stuff for you!

Cinderella11pm is currently giving away 10, $100 Amazon.com gift cards.

Nope, that's not a typo, she's actually giving away 10 of them!

The only catch is you have to have an immediate family member that's in the U.S. Military. Want to enter to win 1 of the 10 gift cards? All you have to do is visit her blog & leave a comment. Easy as that. Giveaway ends on Monday, 10/24.

She's said it the best when she said "YOU deserve recognition and appreciation too, for all that you do at home and at work while your loved one is serving."

Good luck to all you military moms & wives!

*Don't enter the giveaway here, I'm not hosting it. Go here.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

1. I've sort of had a mean streak going for the last day or so. Actually, I don't know if it's so much mean as it is I'm finally telling it like it is. No sugar coating for this girl today...or tomorrow. (example)

2. The season opener to The Walking Dead...what you did y'all think? I really liked it, didn't love it. Not saying I'm not anticipating the next episode or anything cause I am, I can't wait to meet the new characters on Virgil's farm. Yay for Glen & Maggie finally meeting ;) <-- if you read the comics, sorry graphic novel, you'll know what I'm talking about.

3. We're so spoiled.

4. This must have been one helluva wedding. Maybe someone was trying to get the honeymoon started early, ha ha.

5. Oh, this dude is never going live this down. Hilarious!

6. In related haunted house news, Rusty & I will be visiting one built on a supposedly haunted cemetery. I'm really hoping they don't have any hidden cameras cause I'd hate for people to witness me either peeing myself or kicking a poor sap in the family jewels as I run for my life.

7. Thank you coworker for thoroughly describing what it would have hypothetically sounded like if you had stepped on the giant yellow spider that was on your car window this morning. The close up photo of it & sound affects weren't really necessary but I did appreciate your enthusiasm to act out the, again, hypothetical situation for me.

8. Sears layaway plan. Anyone used it? I'm thinking of getting most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping done there just so I can pay it off little by little but I'm not totally convinced it's a great idea.

9. Not sure how I feel about this movie even though at first glance it looks totally cute. Reese Witherspoon is rarely awful & you can't go wrong with 2 hot guys, right? One thing I'm definitely not diggin' is Chris Pine's poofy hair...who's idea was it to give him 90's hair?

10. FYI: Putting lotion on around your eye may seem like a good idea (that skin's gotta me moisturized too, right?) until your eye begins to water & tiny lotion particles make their way into your eyeball, causing it to burn like a mo-fo. Don't do it. My eye's still not done twitching.

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Alrightly, you guys feel like listing 10 random things in your head? Well if you do, great! Create your own 10 on Tuesday post & link up here so we can all check you out ;)

Your Teeth Say A Lot...

2011-10-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

While catching up on all the juicy gossip that happened over this weekend while I was busy doing important things, like watching tv & not bathing, I came upon this gem...

I know, she's a vision of sheer beauty.

By beauty I of course mean crack head.

This photo was taken of the former actress-now walking corpse Lindsay Lohan, sometime last week at a video game release. It's not really a big surprise that she made an appearance to a video game launch, girl probably sprints to the opening of a Bud Light can but damn she looks awful.

I've seen washed up hookers with better days and teeth. Yikes!

Think I'm being too harsh? Well, I'm not, you're just a big softy...look closer.

See what I mean? That right there, that totally says crack head mouth.

As easy as she is to make fun of I really wish someone (other than her crazy ass money hungry family) would step in & help her out.

Maybe they can start by handing her a mirror or better yet a toothbrush...I'm not asking for miracles here people.

(Linds 2002-2010 . This is worse than seeing the 2007 Britney train wreck. At least Brit got her shit straight, although still not a better weave.)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

No alarms, no early morning wake ups, no having to deal with yappy co-workers because it's Friday, woot!

The most selfless thing I've ever done was ...I have no clue. I know I do little selfless things (open doors for strangers, give up my seat, give my last dollar to a homeless person, offer Rusty the last drink of Dr. Pepper even though I really want it) all the time but nothing BIG sticks out.
When it comes to working out I don't. I'm so freakin' ashamed to admit this but I haven't really worked out (more than speed walking) in about 2 1/2 years. Rusty wants to buy a treadmill in hopes that we'll work out if it's in front of the TV. I'm beginning to think those 2 years are beginning show themselves on my ass :/
A woman should always value herself. Take pride in who are, what you're worth & don't ever let anyone belittle you. If they do throat punch them.
I wish I could pack a duffle bag, hop in the car and drive to Las Vegas for the weekend because then I'd be ubberly happy & relaxed as I tapped on those slot machine buttons.
A best friend is someone who's there when your ugly crying over something way lame, the person who'll pick you up when you're at your lowest & still loving you afterward, and the one person that you can tell anything & everything to without being afraid that you'll be judged.
I can't get enough of my favorite tv shows...I'm addicted! My dvr is jammed packed with shows. Rusty says I remind him of the wife in Fahrenheit 451 lol. I never thought I'd get into ABC's Revenge or be so disturbingly intrigued by FX's American Horror Story but I am. Label me guilty.
This weekend I am maybe going to the local county fair, definitely doing laundry, and maybe catching a movie at the local creepy clown theater. Nothing too exciting...lame.

Happy Friday y'all!

Join in on the fun by copying the blanks, answering them on your blog & linking up at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out.

EdenFantasys Sexy Halloween Inspired Giveaway {CLOSED}

2011-10-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

*Warning: This post includes adult topics*

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's fun, there's tons of candy involved and you get to be someone other than yourself for a day...what's not to love?

But while all the ladies are out scouring the local department store or costume warehouse for this year's perfect costume I'll be sitting at home wondering why they just didn't buy that flirty costume online. Truth is I probably won't even dress up to pass out candy to the kiddos this year but that doesn't necessarily mean I won't be putting on a costume ;)

That's right, instead of sexing it up for all those strangers why not save the sexy costume for your special someone and sport it in the bedroom...who says the party has to stop when the candy's gone, right? Rawr!

Here a few playful & sexy costumes that you can currently find at EdenFantasys -->

Bad Cop: Don't make her take out her cuffs

Seductive School Girl: One-on-one tutoring anyone?

Naughty Nurse Betty: On call 24/7

Racy Red Riding Hood: The big bad wolf should be the one who's scared

Love Bite Vampire: Careful, she bites

Sexy Waitress: Taking orders is what she does

Cute & risque...two things I think every woman should be.

Regardless of whether you're going for a sweet or racy look, EdenFantasys has the prefect costume for Halloween or playtime (they recently expanded their lingerie selection). They offer a large selection of costumes at affordable prices, in sizes varying from XS - 4X, so there's definitely something for everyone. And, if you keep reading you might be the lucky person who gets something for free -->

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~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault reader will win a $50 Gift Certificate to EdenFantasys!

(can be used to purchase anything on EdenFantasys.com)

How to win:

Leave only ONE comment listing all of the entries you completed. There's no need for you to leave multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your extra entries (which are optional). Also, be sure to leave an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit EdenFantasys newly expanded sexy lingerie section & tell me one item that catches your eye.

Extra Entries:

- Subscribe to EdenFantasys email newsletter (as a bonus they'll give you a nifty little gift) - 3 entries

- Like EdenFantasys on Facebook - 3 entries

- Follow EdenFantasys on Twitter - 3 entries

- Subscribe to this blog via email &/or reader (left side bar) - 3 entries

- Tweet this --> "Dress up for a romantic adventure - Enter to win a @EdenFantasys $50 gift certificate http://bit.ly/q0RovA @linnysvault #giveaway " - 2 entries (can be done 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Thursday, October 27 @11:59pm (pst) & is open to U.S. & Canada residents only. Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day.

This post was sponsored by EdenFantasys.com

(Disclosure: I was not provided with any item(s) or monetary compensation to write this post or host this giveaway. This is ALL for you guys! The opinions & views expressed in this post are all mine. The gift certificate will be provided to the winner by EdenFantasys via email.)

Easy Marinated Baked Pork Chops: Recipe

2011-10-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Alright, fellow easy meal makers the recipe to the delicious - no one died- pork chops I wrote about on Monday is finally here.

Now head on into your pantry & grab these everyday ingredients (what, you don't douse your food in soy sauce everyday? Yeah right.) and put this together asap...your family will thank you. If you're lucky their thanks will come in the form of money or gifts but if they don't (the economy's pretty bad right now, remember?) just be nice & accept their hugs instead.

Marinated Baked Pork Chops

3 tsp - Soy Sauce

3 tsp - Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp - Vegetable Oil (I used corn oil)

3 tsp - Ketchup

2 tsp - Lemon juice (fresh squeezed or store bought)

4 tsp - Brown Sugar (I used cane sugar but it doesn't really matter)

Salt

Pepper

6 - pork chops, trimmed (bone in or boneless I prefer boneless)

9 x 13 inch baking dish

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

- In a mixing bowl (I used measuring bowl), thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup to make marinade. Should be about 1/2 cup.

- Rinse pork chops, cut off any excess fat, dab dry with paper towel.

- Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper as you place them in the baking dish. (I fit all 6, it's OK if they touch)

- Spread 1/2 of your marinade mix onto the top of pork chops. Cover baking dish loosely with foil.

- Bake pork chops for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn over pork chops & spread remaining 1/2 of marinade on top of them.

- Cover & continue baking for 30 minutes or until internal temperature of pork chops reaches 160 degrees (70 degrees C). Let cool or serve right away, either way don't forget to top with extra pork chop juice/marinade for added flavor.

*Note: I used the same amount of of tsp's of ingredients for the 2 pork chops as I did for the 6 I made on Monday night, I just had more juice left over...which was totally OK with me ;)

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Easy peasy I tell ya! The pork chops come out moist and delicious and the hot pork chop juice/marinade can be used to top mashed potatoes & any other side. <-- Did it & it was amazing

Not only was this a no hassle meal but because pork is so cheap it only costed me about $10 to make since I had almost all ingredients in my kitchen...$6.95 for 8 pork chops, $2.50 for soy sauce. Epic kitchen win up in here!

Ten On Tuesday

2011-10-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

1. Why the heck is it so difficult to wake up early when I have to go to work but on my days off I'm up way before I should be? Stupid body why do you play games with me!

2. Sometimes it's perfectly acceptable to watch a black & white movie marathon and dream of one day dancing like Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire.

3. I'd like to request that Ryan Reynolds make all future appearances shirtless. Also, if he could just pose, nod & flex instead of speaking that would be great.

4. As fucked up as FX's new show, American Horror Story is...I'm pretty intrigued by it. The gore, the taboo *cough* ghost gimp *cough*, the Dylan McDermott nudity, the age-shifting sometimes hot/old maid is all something that's never been done on regular tv before. Pushing the limits, yes please! (click the 1st link & find out what what I'm talking about)

5. Just because you can squeeze into a certain outfit doesn't mean you should wear it. As an example I give you Christina Aguilara -->

Is it just me or is she starting to resemble a lighter Snooki?

6. I love Halloween as much as anyone loves candy but there's no way in hell I'll be shelling out $40+ for a costume just pass out candy in. If anything I'm going to save that moola & buy something I can actually have fun in...like this. Also that's a total hint as to what my next giveaway is ;)

7. Hollywood needs to start coming up with new movie ideas because I haven't seen one movie trailer that makes me think "Now that's a movie I need to see!". The last movies that were actually worth the money I paid were Bridesmaids and Horrible Bosses. Two movies that better make their way into my Christmas stocking this year <-- hint hint Rusty.

8. I need new fall clothes. Now if I could only get new fall money.

9. I'm so hungry right now all I can think of is all the stuff sitting in my fridge at home just waiting for me to eat it. Oh, sweet Aunt Jemima buttermilk waffles, I shall have you for dinner.

10. So very true.

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Alrighty party people...if you want to join the random party that I got going on here then just compile your own 10 on Tuesday post & link up here so I can check you out. We all know how much I love random ;)

I Cooked & No One Died...

2011-10-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

That's right, this little lady actually cooked a real meal last night. It didn't come pre-cooked & it didn't come from a box...well the main part didn't anyway.

So last night I was feeling really homemaker-liker & set out for the perfect cooking newb recipe in my nifty ghetto recipe book (compiled of interweb recipes) & found one that included pork chops. Pig? Sounds easy & idiot proof enough!

Perfect.

However, I then found myself having a flashback to my mom cooking pork chops for dinner & thinking 'there's no way that's edible' because by the time she was done ~~cooking~~ frying them they were so hard you could chip a damn tooth just trying to take a bite.

So yeah, my kitchen confidence fell pretty fast at the thought of having to toss out overcooked piggy and/or losing a tooth.

Until I remembered the time the MIL cooked some for us & I remember thinking as I took a bite, 'wtf is this...it's soft & I can actually bite it?!' I was stunned. And to top it off she made it look super easy. No frying involved.

With my confidence back up I took a deep breath & said screw it & I made Marinated Baked Pork Chops.

And, they were amazing!

The best part (besides the food, of course) was that I didn't have to slave in front of the stove for hours or babysit it. No lie, it took me less than 10 minutes to prep & put in the oven & then I went upstairs to watch Dexter for an hour. By the end of the episode they were done & we were grubbin'. And I'm proud to say no one got food poisoning, woop woop! & there were enough left over for Rusty to eat again when his gaming munchies set in at 2am. <--epic wife win

Cooking without all the work, count me in any day!

Do you tend to stray from time consuming recipes or do you go all out for dinner?

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"It only took 8 years but I finally got a decent meal out of you." - my loving punk ass husband

Note: I honestly thought this recipe was going to be a bust so I didn't bother to take pictures but good news is I have a couple spare pork chops left so I'll make it again & post the recipe for you guys ;)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-10-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

I swear I've been waiting for the weekend since last weekend ended & it's finally here...woop woop! I've got a couple of things planned: reading, catching up on my DVR'd shows, going to a Food Truck & Brew Fest, maybe a movie, and putting myself in a food induced coma at Red Lobster (mmm cheesy biscuits).

But now, it's time for some blank fun -->

Something popular that I can't stand/just don't "get" is Pinterest. I know everyone & their mom is fascinated by it and it's supposed awesomeness but I just don't "get it". Label me lame.
Something unpopular that I secretly love is eating ice cream straight from the carton. Most of the time Rusty & I will finish it in one sitting (yeah, we're fatties, so what) so it's really kind of pointless to dirty anymore dishes than necessary. Right?
When I've had a bad day I tend to take it out on everyone. I'm the worst person to be around when my day's been shitty, no lie.
I'd prefer Converse to heels any day.
Something that makes me nervous is speaking in public or in the middle of large crowds. I tend to stutter a lot and/or lose all memory of what I was about to say.
Something worth fighting for is the last Oreo or slice of cheese pizza. You'll for sure lose a finger if you get between me & my food.
When people think of me, I hope they think "damn, that Lin is so so awesome I wish she was my neighbor so I could have a dose of her awesomeness throughout the week." Ha-ha! It's late & I'm totally blaming my big head on lack of sleep.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Also, you guys should totally enter one, if not all of my 3 giveaways (top, right side bar)...they're pretty awesome ;)

Join in on the Fill In The Blank fun by copying them, answering them on your blog & linking up at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out. Good stuff.

'In The Belly Of Jonah' & 'Lot's Return To Sodom' - Mystery Book Giveaway

2011-10-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

*If you haven't read my review of In The Belly of Jonah' then I suggest you get your cute bum over there or here & read it. I promise it'll only make you want to read this book even more so!*

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This giveaway for all my fellow book worms who dig the crime fiction/murder mystery type books. If you've read my review of 'In The Belly of Jonah' then you'll already know that it's worth reading. What I didnt get to talk too much about was it's sequel, 'Lot's Return to Sodom'.

Although I haven't read the sequel (I'm getting to it this weekend), I can tell you that much like it's predecessor, the first chapter is captivating. Honestly I can't wait to open it up & fully dedicate a couple of hours to it.

And now, it's your turn to find out exactly what I've been raving on about -->

~ Giveaway Time ~

ONE lucky Vault reader will win a copy of both Sandra Brannan's mystery books, 'In The Belly Of Jonah' and 'Lot's Return To Sodom'

click here for synopsis' of both books

How to win:

Leave only ONE comment listing all of the entries you completed. There's no need for you to leave multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember that the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your extra entries (which are optional). Also, be sure to leave an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry:

Tell me what the last good crime fiction/murder mystery book you read was titled.

Extra Entries:

- Like the author, Sandra Brannan on Facebook. - 3 entries

- Follow the author, Sandra Brannan on Twitter. - 3 entries

- Subscribe to this blog via email &/or reader (left side bar). - 2 entries

- Tweet this --> Enter to win both @SandraBrannan enthralling Liv Bergen mystery series books: http://t.co/7H4eW3AZ @linnysvault #giveaway #mysteryseries - 1 entry (can be done 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Friday, October 22 @ 11pm (pst).

Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day.

(Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of both 'In The Belly of Jonah' & 'Lot's Return to Sodom' in order to review and/or post about them, along with host a giveaway. I was not monetarily compensated for this post & all view and opinions in this post are mine. Books will be mailed directly to winner by PR company so please allow a few weeks for delivery.)

In The Belly of Jonah: Book Review

2011-10-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

"He was coming toward her again, the hose hissing near his feet. Her instincts told her to run, but when she moved to stand her legs were too heavy to pull from the water, her arms too heavy to throw a punch. It was hard enough just to breathe."

Intrigued yet? I know I would be. That's part of the excerpt that's cleverly placed on the back of the book, In The Belly of Jonah, to grab our attention...and boy did it work.

Finding a book that captures my attention and holds it is something that rarely happens. I've been known to spend hours at the bookstore reading through the first chapter of dozens of books in hopes to walk out with just one. This book, this crime fiction/murder mystery book, I would have definitely walked out with!

Synopsis:

Liv Bergen is an independent, smart and savvy lime plant manager who gets a crack at amateur sleuthing when a shocking murder mystery grips her town of Fort Collins, Colorado. A sick and twisted serial killer is on the loose, and he is preying upon his unsuspecting victims right under the noses of the authorities. When one of the victims turns out to be Liv's summer intern, the case gets personal for Liv and she finds herself at the heart of the investigation.

As more and more clues start to surface about the "Venus de Milo" serial killer, Live begins to realize that she is closing in on an extremely psychotic and twisted individual and possibly getting herself in over her own head. FBI agent Streeter Pierce gets assigned to the case, and Live thinks that she has something to offer him in the way of furthering the investigation. Little does she know that her own involvement in the situation has put herself and those around her in grave danger; Venus de Milo seem to know she's onto him. Will Live and Streeter be able to crack the case before Venus de Milo strikes again or will they become just another victim in his string of thoughtfully planned out killings?

My Review:

In my opinion the first chapter of a book sets the bar for a book and Sandra Brannan did a fabulous job at setting the bar high up on the scale and keeping it there throughout this entire book. The story begins by introducing us to Venus de Milo during his first killing, showing us just how demented and twisted he is, and continues to stay vivid and captivating through the end.

The story was both suspenseful and intriguing, without getting tedious. I was never once bored or had to force myself to get through the next page. The author did a fabulous job of interweaving chapters told from Liv, Agent Pierce, and Venus de Milo's point of view; only heightening the suspense of the story. Liv was very relatable and likable. I liked that she didn't just miraculously know things even though she didn't have formal law enforcement training. Every clue she came up with was explained and thought it was funny that she would often make fun of herself for sounding like a character out of Scooby Doo.

I really enjoyed the probable story line, characters and the fact that everything flowed really well from beginning to end. Being a person who likes to know everything about a crime scene in murder mystery books I greatly appreciated Brannan thoroughly describing every aspect of the murders and crime scenes. The ending was timely, clean, didn't leave loose ends (even explained how the Venus de Milo killer was born) and was cleverly left open for it's newly released sequel, Lot's Return To Sodom.

I'd definitely recommend 'In The Belly of Jonah' to anyone who's looking for a great crime fiction/murder mystery to read during these new cold cloudy days. And if by chance the top excerpt wasn't enough to enthrall you, here's one more -->

"'Masterpiece,' he said, admiring the photograph as he added it to the gallery of five other framed prints hanging on his bedroom wall.

The photo had been taken of the girl from behind. His attention was drawn to the knot of brown hair, noticeable beneath the cloth wrapped around her face and head despite the gaping rectangle cut in the girl's midriff.

'Breathtaking.'"

In the Belly of Jonah, by Sandra Brannan can be purchased here or here.

Lot's Return to Sodom, by Sandra Brannan can be purchased here or here.

(Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of both In The Belly of Jonah & Lot's Return to Sodom in order to review and/or post about them. I was not monetarily compensated for this post & all view and opinions in this post are mine.)

Ten On Tuesday

2011-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

1. Outsourcing sucks. I know they made a show about it & it was supposed to be funny but it's not. Especially when I have to talk to people who claims they can't understand MY accent. Really?!

2. *sigh* What a pain.

via

3. Lately I've taking the weekends off from blogging & tweeting...and damn it feels good.

4. Tweeting how dumb you think people in a certain profession are isn't really the smartest of ideas. Most likely you know a few people who have done it or still do it & honestly there's not really a good way to get back from that awkward moment when they call you out on it. (proof: 1 & 2)

5. Bisquick Honey-Butter Biscuits are the best things evah! All you do is add water, stick in the oven for 8-10 minutes, proceed to slather more honey on them while shoveling them 2 at a time into your mouth. Go buy them. Really.

6. The other day Rusty says "hey have you heard the song they wrote about me?" and puts this video on his laptop for me. Needless to say I laughed my ass off for a good 5 mins straight!

Funniest part is the bar scene (1:54 mark)

7. It's raining in SoCal today and as sleepy as rainy weather makes me I'm glad to not have to reapply deodorant 3x a day.

8. Rusty has brought up having me take pole dancing classes a couple of times & as much as I'd like to try it out I can't help but imagine it would look a lot less like this & more like Carey from The King of Queens...no rhythm, 2 left feet & lack of upper body strength = not a pretty sight & possibly temporary loss of vision due to a flying stripper shoe.

9. I've come to the conclusion that I don't have friends in real life not because I'm unlikable (pfft, as if) but more for the simple fact that most people are dumb & annoy the hell out of me within the first 5 minutes of opening their mouths.

10. I'm going to attempt to make Pumpkin Spice cupcakes w/vanilla bean frosting from scratch this weekend. This may not seem like big deal but I'm a super fan of food that comes from a box. Hopefully it won't be a total bust...wish me major Betty Crocker-like luck.

Rant randomly & without judgment, all while keeping me entertained (bonus!), by writing your own "10 on Tuesday" & linking up here -->

Sam's Club Pink Promotion: $25 Gift Card Giveaway

2011-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

We all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month but did you know that for the last 5 years, General Mills has partnered up with the Susan G. Koman for the Cure Foundation to bring breast cancer support to local communities? If you didn't know, consider yourself now in the loop.

This year they are making their annual donation of $2 million to the foundation to advance breast cancer research and support education and community outreach projects. And, as if that wasn't good enough now YOU can help out too!

Sam’s Club stores are currently featuring exclusive pink packaging on some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios and Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies. When you purchase these "pink" items, a portion of the sale will be donated toward breast cancer research. General Mills’ donations will be divided between two important Komen programs: the Treatment and Assistance Program, which assists women in securing care they otherwise may not be able to afford, and Prevention Research, which helps unlock the keys to preventing breast cancer (you help decide how half of that contribution will be donated by voting at PinkTogether.com from now until April 14, 2012).

This is a fantastic way to get involved & lend a helping hand...every little bit helps, right!? So in order to help you, help the cause, Sam's Club along with General Mill's and MyBlogSpark are giving away a $25 gift card to one of my readers. That's right, one of you will be able to shop your little hearts out (or at least $25 worth) and buys some of their very adorable "pink" products. No lie, Rusty couldn't pry me away from this section...there was so much stuff!

With that in mind please visit your local Sam's Club today and buy "pink" and help support this great cause!

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~ Giveaway Time ~

One lucky Vault reader will win a $25 Sam's Club Gift Card

How to win:

Mandatory Entry

- Tell me which of your favorite General Mills products are you most excited to see featured in Sam's Club 'Pink Promotion'.

Extra Entries

- Subscribe to this blog via email or reader (left sidebar). - 3 entries

- Like Sam's Club on Facebook. - 2 entries

- Follow Sam's Club on Twitter. - 2 entries

- Like Pink Together on Facebook. - 2 entries

- Tweet this --> "Enter to win a $25 @SamsClub Gift Card http://bit.ly/nRINip @linnysvault #giveaway #MyBlogSpark"- 1 entry (can be done 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Friday, October 14 @ 11:59pm (pst). Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day.

(Disclosure: The above information & $25 gift card to Sam's Club has been provided by Sam's Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I was provided with a Sam's Club gift card in exchange for posting the above information. The views & opinions found in this post are mine.)

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-09-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

It's been one helluva Friday guys. Had to take my lil bro to the ER for an almost broken ankle (fyi it's not broken) at 4am...definitely not something I wanted to do on my day off. So now I'm in bed watching the latest episode of 'Revenge' & I gotta say, I'm sorta diggin' it.

But now it's time for -->

My current obsession is reading. I'd been spending way too much time online so when a company sent me some books to review I was ubber happy. To top it off they're pretty much exactly the kind of mystery/serial killer books I would have bought.
Fall tv shows being back make me happy.
My greatest strength is being able to make lists like an OCD maniac. <-- Yeah, I really have no clue ha-ha.
Sam's Club cheese pizza & wild berry sundaes is my biggest weakness.
My life is great but has been pretty low key lately. I haven't really gone on any trips or gone out for a night on the town. Sometimes I feel like I'm 50 instead of 28 ha-ha.
In high school I was different every year. My freshman year I was a popular cheerleader, sophomore year I was a rebel, junior year I was trying to be a bookworm to make up for the last 2 yrs, and senior year I was a loner.
When I'm super tired I'm super cranky and am not to be messed with. Rusty knows not to talk to me too much when I'm tired cause I'll snap at you more than a snapping turtle.

Happy Friday y'all! Join in on the fun by copying the blanks, filling them in & linking up your blog at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out.

I Have A Bone To Pick With 'New Girl' Writers

2011-09-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

I love the show...

Zooey Deschanel is funny, her random singing & nerdiness is entertaining enough, the roommate dudes are cute & brotherly but one thing that I can't get behind is the show switching out one black guy for another.

Not only do I hate it when a show switches out characters on us like this but they got rid of funny ass 'Coach' (Damon Waynes Jr.) for this other non-funny dude, Winston. Yeah, they couldn't even give him a cool name.

He's boring. Not funny. Doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the cast and if I'm going to be bluntly honest...he's not as good looking.

There, I said it.

Turns out Waynes was written out because the show 'Happy Endings', which he's in, was renewed after sucking major rating ass last season. What they should have done is just write him out of that show & left him in 'New Girl' since it'll probably live longer than a show about a dude who was left at the alter & is still friends with the chick cause they don't want to split friends...lamesauce.

Alright, I may have just made it sound pretty cool but I it's not...really.

So even though I'm going to stick it out & keep watching I'd just like to let it be known that there is a total shift in the funniness of the show (as in it was almost cut in 1/2), this new dude is not as appealing to look at or as funny as the old one, just because this character is the same color doesn't mean the viewer (me) will welcome him with open TV arms, and I don't like this change. at. all.

Do you watch this show? What did you guys think about the cast change-up, am I right or am I right* to be all ranty about it?

First episode (aka: the funny one)

*I know, I'm totally right.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-09-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

1. Today was one of those mornings where sleeping 20 more minutes beat out taking a shower. And in case it's still not clear to you, no I did not shower today & I'm totally alright with that. Also -->

2. I don't think it should be allowed that you can be close friends with your boss. It gives certain people an unfair advantage at work and being the impersonal slacker that I am, I'm not cool with that. We should all hate our boss equally as much.

3. While every woman without kids is trying to figure out what slutty ass costume to wear for Halloween this year, I'm over here trying to figure out who's kid I can borrow for the night so I can get my hands on all that delicious candy. Nom nom nom...

4. They always say it's best not to lie to your kids, right?

5. Last nights episode of 'The Big C' was SO good! I cried happy & sad tears fo sho & I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed that they don't really kill him off.

6. There are 88 days until Christmas. Holy shit, I'm not ready for this. Maybe I'll take up Rusty on his Christmas in Las Vegas idea.

7. I treated Rusty to a Red Lobster all you can eat shrimp lunch on his birthday & if you guys ever eat there make sure you try their Pina Colada Dipping Sauce. No lie, it's like a tropical mouth orgasm! I don't even like shrimp but I ate it dipped in this...I also ate everything else dipped in it but whatever.

8. In regards to above, Rusty found me this kick ass blog (CopyKat Recipes) that shows you how to replicate all of your favorite restaurant food, including the Pina Colada *super enjoyable sauce. Check it out, it's one of the good ones.

9. It doesn't get any more epic than this -->

10. It's so true that you never want to do something until you can't. Our oven stopped working about 2 weeks ago & all I've wanted to do for the last week is bake. I'm sure once it's back in working order though I won't touch the damn thing. Of course.

*I originally had the word 'orgasm' in there but Marla pointed out that it basically sounded like I was talking about tropical jizz, ha-ha and that wasn't the case.

I'm adding the linky again for those of you who want to write your own '10 on Tuesday' post & want to link up so others can check you out...

Madi Diaz: 'Far From Things We Know' EP Album Giveaway

2011-09-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

**I highly suggest you read my review of this EP album before you enter this giveaway. Not because you won't like the album but because I'm sure you'll really enjoy it & it also includes a music video to one of her songs.**

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This is a great giveaway for those fans of indie-pop jams.

Madi Diaz has a fantastic voice and is way talented. Did you guys know she's not only singer & songwriter but she also knows how to play the piano & guitar. I know, right...talented much?

'Far From Things We Know' is an EP album comprised of 3-songs off her newest 11-song album which will be released in early 2012. The album can of course be purchased but with any luck you can win it here!

~ Giveaway Time ~
One lucky Vault reader will win a copy of Madi Diaz' newest EP album

'Far From Things We Know'

How To Win
Leave only ONE comment listing all of the entries you completed. There's no need for multiple comments, I will count them for you! Please remember that the mandatory entry MUST be completed & listed before I will count any of your extra entries. Also, be sure to leave an email address where you can be contacted.

Mandatory Entry
Tell me something fun that you did over the summer.

Extra Entries

- Like Madi Diaz on Facebook. - 3 entries

- Follow Madi Diaz on Twitter. - 2 entries
- Tweet this --> "Win a copy of Madi Diaz' newest indie-pop album 'Far From Things We Know' http://bit.ly/pqXLrT @linnysvault #giveaway #MadiDiaz" - 1 entry (can be 1x daily)

Giveaway will end on Saturday, October 8 @ 11:59pm (pst).
Winner will be chosen at random & posted the following day.

(Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Sneak Attack Media. I was not monetarily compensated for the review of this album of the posting of this giveaway. The album will be provided to the winner by Sneak Attack Media, who will ship it directly to them. All of the opinions/views expressed in this post are my own.)

Madi Diaz: 'Far From Things We Know' EP Review

2011-09-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Madi Diaz may be a name you've heard of before but it's a first for me. With as much television as I watch you'd think I'd of heard on of her song's being played on ABC's hit show 'Pretty Little Liars' or CW's 'Gilmore Girls' but nope, not me.

Considering I'd never heard her music before but am not a fan of either of the above listed shows I was sure I wouldn't be a fan...I was wrong. She's actually quiet good. Her music has catchy hooks, her voice is soft yet powerful and when it's combined with the sounds of a piano and guitar it only gets better.

Nashville born singer-songwriter-guitarist-pianist Madi Diaz is bringing more of her beautiful indie-pop-rock sound to everyone with a new 3-song EP entitled, Far From The Thing That We Know. Madi recently signed with tinyOGRE Entertainment who will release the EP and her full length album sometime in early 2012.

'Far From Things We Know' was recorded in Los Angles and Charlottesville, VA with world-r

enowned producer John Alagia (John Mayer, The Dave Matthew Band), this EP and forthcoming 2012 full-length album features Madi alongside her long-time collaborator, Kyle Ryan.

According to an interview, Madi and Kyle went through roughly 40 songs to get the full-length album down to only 11 songs...wow.

"We write so much, and it's been kind of a long process, putting this record out," Diaz says. 'Let's Go,' the single, Kyle and I wrote three years ago, when we first moved to Nashville. I'm such an instant-gratification person, and it's mind-blowing how long things take in the real world."

Although the EP contains only 3-songs, it's enough to leave a great impression. Personally I enjoyed the song "Johnny" more than the other two but they were just as good...just not as catchy or upbeat.

Madi's facebook page perfectly describes her music and newest album by saying:

"The music reflects a lifelong attraction to song craft as well her deep-rooted affinity for contrasting types of music. One part pop music and on part organic Americana, the album is a hooky, confident collection of songs that is as heartbreaking in some places as it is catchy in other, sometimes within the span of a single song."

I could easily compare the sounds of this album to the Beth Thornley, Christina Perri, and He Is We.

'Far From Things We Know' tracks (listen to them here):

1. Let's Go

2. Johnny

3. Heavy Heart

Madi Diaz is currently touring the following locations:

9/27 Tin Angel - Philadephia, PA

9/29 Cafe 939 - Boston, MA

9/30 Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ

10/3 Mercury Lounge - New York, NY

10/6 DC9 - Washington, DC

10/7 Martin's Downtown - Roanoke, VA

10/9 The Soapbox - Wilmington, NC

10/10 The Basbash @ Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC

10/20 Rhythm & Brews w/Will Hoge - Chattanooga, TN

10/21 Tin Roof Nashville - Nashville, TN

You can purchase the EP album here.

Visit Madi Diaz on her website, facebook, twitter & tumlbr.

(Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the EP, 'Far From Things We Know' courtesy of Sneak Attack Media in order to review it. I was not monetarily compensated for this review and the views/opinions in this post are all mine.)

This Will Instantly Make You Smile...It Worked For Me!

2011-09-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

This video instantly put a smile on my face...

Loved it!

I've only heard about a handful of Sara Bareilles' songs but this one is so upbeat and the video is so happy, I couldn't help but dance along. Not like their dancing, of course...more like Elaine's little kicks dance but whatevs.

Also, I shop at grocery stores like this all the time, you can always find the best carne asada there...fyi.

The ending was the funniest, wasn't it? Hopefully it brightened up your Monday, jeebus knows I needed it.

*yawn*

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-09-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here...YAY! Now it's time for some weekend fun -->

The best thing I did all week was eat breakfast every day so far. I never ever do this but lately I've been so ferociously hungry by the time I get to work that I decided to take yogurt & a banana to eat. I think I could get used it. Maybe.
Warm squishy gummy bears make me super happy.
Pets are sometimes a pain in the butt but are totally worth it.
The fact that I'm happily married is the best thing about my life.
With the cooler weather I am looking forward to bringing out my pea coats, boots, warm comfy sweaters & hot chocolate topped with whipped cream...yum!
Something that's on my "wish list" right now is a new pair 'Refuge' jeans from Charlotte Russe & a few colorful cardigans to spruce up my somewhat dull outfits.
This weekend I am going to throw a small BBQ for Rusty's birthday & catch up on some reading. I know, sounds absolutely intriguing right? Ha-ha...party up in here!

Join in on the Fill In The Blank Friday fun by copying the blanks, filing them in on your blog & linking up at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out.

Happy Friday peeps!

Someone Else's Favorite Things...

2011-09-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I signed up for a 'Favorite Things' swap that Leeann was hosting. I had done a couple of these swaps last year & had fun shopping for the other person but have to admit it's a bit of a let down when you put a lot of effort into it & your partner does not. Lame-suace fo' sho' guys.

Luckily that wasn't the case with my newest swap buddy Lia, cause she totally hooked it up with some pretty rad stuff. Check it out -->

I really wasn't expecting this many things but was super happy to see the box so full :)

1. Cute note card from Lia.

2. Handy dandy compact green re-usable bag.

3. Another adorable re-usable bag (love that it resembles a strawberry!). These are definitely going to be used.

4. A bunch of fashionably unique bracelets with charms on them.

5. Owl notebook

6. Cute purse hook. Say goodbye to putting my purse on the gross floor.

7. Box full of great smelling bar soap. Love love love the box.

8. Yummy pumpkin spice scented candle.

9. Burt's Beeswax Lip Balm - Rusty pocketed this as soon as he saw it, haha.

10. Shell from Daytona Beach, FL where Lia used to live. The beach is one of my favorite places.

11. Pure Ice - Pink nail polish (totally a color I'd pick)

12. Pure Ice - Silver glitter nail polish

As if the box wasn't cute enough, it also has a beautiful pink & green brooch-like adornment on it.

I've never been much of a charm bracelet person but these are small enough to not annoy me with the clinking...nice pick Lia.

I got her a few cute things too, at least I hope she thinks so. If anything, she got a free pack of Starburst out of it. And honestly, who the hell doesn't like them, right? Although if I'm going to be completely honest I only like the red ones and sometimes I'll feel bad for the mediocre pink ones & eat them too.

The others? I either toss them or leave them laying around for Rusty to eat..my little candy scavenger.

Thanks for all the awesome stuff Lia!

Ten On Tuesday

2011-09-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

1. Weeds has turned into Desperate Housewives for me. This season has sucked major ass & the only reason I'm still watching it because I'm determined to see it to the end. Determined.

2. I do believe I'll buy myself this t-shirt for Rusty's birthday. Wives get a birthday present for their husbands birthday too, right? ;)

3. This week marks the beginning of fall TV...eek! I'm so happy!

4. I may or may not have kept eating my breakfast sandwich after I found a hair in it. I was super hungry, don't judge...too harshly.

5. I heard this jackass Marine on the radio this morning ranting about him not agreeing with the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' because he didn't want to be showering with gay people...you know, cause all the gay dudes would of course be gawking at his junk (way to toot your own small horn there, homeslice). I don't know if the dude was really dumb or just really ignorant but the truth is he's most likely showered with hundreds of gay dudes since he joined the force. If they haven't eye raped you yet chances are that a change in rules isn't going to magically make it happen. Moron.

6. The quality of movies being released in theaters lately is quiet disappointing. Get your shit together Hollywood & give me something that I can say is worth my $12.

7. Is it just me or is it pretty pathetic when a dude goes on & on about how he was such hot stuff when he was younger & got all sorts of ass? Reminiscing (aka: bragging) about 'the good ol' days' doesn't make you look cooler, it actually just gives us something else to laugh about later.

8. I really wish parents would understand that just because a child says they want something doesn't mean they need it. There's a difference & you're supposed to be the one that tells the difference. Put those adult panties on damn it.

9. Just because you like listening to shitty music while you work doesn't mean everyone else does. Do your co-workers a favor & put on head phones. <-- I know what my cubicle neighbor is getting for Christmas.

10. Aw, that's not cool man. But it is pretty fucking funny...

*************

Here's the linky for those cool cats that want to write their own "10 on Tuesday" post. Make sure to link up, not that I'm not promising tons of people will check you out but if it's any consolation, I'll go read it! Exciting, I know. Thanks to those of you who've linked up in the past, you totally give me something to read when ~~work gets boring~~ on my breaks.

Emmy Awards 2011: Best & Worst Dressed

2011-09-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

To be totally honest, I had completely forgotten that the Emmy's were on last night until I started channel surfing for some background noise while I read <-- this is what happens when you take the weekend off from interweb. Yikes!

Luckily I caught it during the opening so I didn't much except Jane Lynch singing off key. I gotta say they did a great job with the show this year & Jane Lynch was a funny & upbeat host, it did get a little cheesy at times but mostly it was enjoyable. I heard on the radio this morning that people are calling it one of the best, if not "the" best show ever & even though it was good, I wouldn't go that far.

What I wasn't too impressed with was the ladies fashion choices. Usually they'll go over the top with fancy shmancy dresses but it was pretty low key this year *cough* Kate Winslet *cough*. I'm not saying it was a bad thing, it was just different. So from the little choices I had, here are my Best & Worst Dressed picks -->

BEST:

top to bottom: Jennifer Westfeldt (loved the ankle length & yellow), Heather Morris, Evan Rachel Wood, Emily Blunt (looked amazing in this color & looked classy), Colbie Smulders (really set herself apart with this goddess like bright blue dress), Kate Winslet (totally rocked a simply classic red dress to it's full potential), Maria Bello, Martha Plimpton (liked just about everything about this dress, color, neck line, wide straps, tail), Sofia Vergara (looked smokin' in this tight fiting bright Vera Wang gown & the earrings only added to the look).

Worst:

top to bottom: Claire Danes (this awkward pattern/sparkle thing didnt do it for me & didnt do her small frame any favors), Eva la Rue (was she going for the gypsy gone wrong look?), Gwyneth Paltrow (what's up with the see through mid section?), Heidi Klum (I wanted to like it but couldnt get past the pom-pom look), Jayma Mays (hello little bo peep), Julianna Marguiles (no, just no! I think she might have lost a bet.), Kelly Macdonald (not horrid but not cute either), Olivia Munn (what was she even doing there, she's only been in one movie...also she should be banned from future awards show cause of this awful green mess of a dress), Paz De La Huerta (not only does she look drunk but the dress looks as cheap as she does), Taraji P. Henson (reminds me of a holiday table cloth my mom has). >/div>

Now that you've seen my picks do you agree or disagree with them? Who were some of your best & worst picks from last nights Emmy's?

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-09-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's Friday...woop woop! As happy as I am for this weekend, I have no plans other than watching lots of tv & stalking people on twitter. Fun, right? I know, don't be jealous.

But now it's time for some fun stuff...

You should always take time to eat breakfast in the morning. I mean, I never do but it's totally something I should cause once it hits lunch time I'm so hungry I could eat a bag of month old gummy bears. Which I may or may not have done...once or twice.
My DVR & high speed internet make(s) the world a happier place to be.
I can hardly wait for all of the fall shows to come back on tv! I'm super excited to watch Dexter, Castle, Greys Anatomy & Boardwalk Empire.
Thursday is my favorite day of the week. It used to be Friday but it's now changed since I know that I don't have to set my alarm for Friday morning...I love having 3 days off.
Something totally dumb and ridiculous that I love is watching cartoons like Family Guy, South Park, and King of the Hill.
If I could, I would pack a small bag, get in my car & drive to Las Vegas for the weekend. Unfortunately I'm broke & Rusty has to work. Lame.
I rather like eating pie straight from the tin than cutting a piece & putting it on a plate. Maybe it's the fact that I don't like to share my Marie Calendar pie or I'm just a fattie, either way it tastes so much better if it's picked straight from the tin.

Join in on the Friday fun...copy the blanks, fill them in on your blog & then link up at The Little Things We Do so others can check you out.

Happy Friday peeps!

Missoni: I Just Don't Get The Hype

2011-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

With all of the tv I watch and all the freakin' time I spend online you'd think I would have at least heard of this whole Missoni for Target thing. But nope, I didn't have a clue. While everyone & their mom was raving about it on Twitter yesterday I was sitting at work googleing that shit cause I was clueless & wanted to be in on the cool kids' news.

I also may or may not have had a flashback to a time when I was about 12 and everyone in school was sporting platform clogs so I begged my mom to buy me some & since we weren't the richest of the bunch she took my ass to Payless for the knockoffs.

Anyway...back to the Missoni, I just don't understand what the big deal is. It's all so funky. And not in a good way either.

Does everyone want this stuff because it's normally priced at like $800 for one shoe or a dress (it's true, click the link), does everyone want to be part of the 'cool crowd' so badly that they felt the need to bombard every Target store & website? Cause from what I hear, that's totally what happened.

Who knows, maybe I'm just not cool enough to "get" it's popularity.

I could never serve on these trays. I'd be totally distracted by the colors & paterns & be all "hey, look at all the pretty colo..." *trips over own shoe* & spills drinks all over guests, haha.

Same goes for these plates. Only good thing would be that they'd all eat their food quickly just to get a glipse of the mess of colors on the plate.

Not only do the colors screem 70's but the camera tripod by the window isn't helping either. I'm totally getting a 70's porn set vibe here.

What person that isn't 98 lbs can actually pull of this hot mess of an outfit? It reminds me of that 'I Love Lucy' episode where Lucy & Ethel are in France & walk around in burlap dresses because they think they're designer, lol.

These are the only items I would even think about {almost} buying. I don't really know how often they'd be used they're semi cute & we all know how much I LOVE flats.

What do you think, are you a fan of Missoni? Did you run out & buy things?

'Mr. Sam Presents: The Bandana Splits' Album Winner

2011-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm super late on posting this, sorry...but we now have a winner!

The winner of the 'Bandana Splits' album is -->

Congratulations Leeann!

Winner has 48hrs to claim the item by responding to my email. If the item is not claimed a new winner will be chosen.