Friday, May 27, 2011

JewelMint Review & Promo Code

Honestly I feel like I need a 12 step program...I, Kimberly, am addicted to JewelMint.


There, I feel like its a step in the right direction...

You are probably wondering exactly what this JewelMint is.  Here ya go, straight from JewelMint.


JewelMint is the new and personalized way to shop for designer jewelry! As a member you get access to exclusive jewelry collections designed by actress, Kate Bosworth, and her stylist, Cher Coulter. Each month you’ll receive personalized jewelry recommendations and style advice. Membership is just $29.99 per month. Shipping is FREE, returns are hassle free and if you don't find something you love, SKIP THE MONTH within the first five days FOR NO CHARGE. There’s no obligation ever.





Let me just say before I was even contacted by the company, I was on the look for good, fun & affordable jewelry.   I just wasn't happy with what I was finding.  It wasn't what I was looking for. Plus I am a very visual person.  I'm not good at seeing a necklace in a store and being like "oh!  that would look good with this!" 

I need help.  

With JewelMint they take all of the guess work out of it.  When you  sign up for JewelMint,  you get to  create your style profile.  Basically they ask you a series of questions and you pick which picture best describes your style.   After you have answered all of the questions you can view the pieces of jewelry specifically picked for you!  When you see what is offered in your 'showroom'  there is also an option to see more, so you can add more if what you first see doesn't do it for you. 

You can also check out their blog at blog.jewelmint.com.   There you can get all kinds of style advice and you can even send them a message with any style question and they will answer it right there on the blog!!

As I was saying, I was contacted by the company and asked to pick out two pieces of jewelry from their site and they write a review about them, so let me get on with it! 











Each piece comes in these super cute mint green & black boxes.   The boxes themselves are enough to go crazy over. Really.  I can see me using these boxes for many different things.   Also in the box is a note card with the name of that specific piece as well as a note describing it from Kate & Cher. 

For my two pieces I choose to review the Calypso Necklace and the Soulmate Bangle. 


                                                               





I honestly couldn't believe the exceptional quality of the jewelry when I opened the box.  I really didn't expect them to both feel so solid.   The Calypso Necklace features three resin disks in deep mauve and lilac.  I can see myself wearing this with just jeans and a v neck shirt or pairing it with something dressier.  

The soulmate bangle is my absolute fave.  I have worn this every day since got it.   It is two bangles connected, one circle and one heart shaped.   I had started reading the JewelMint facebook page  before I received these two pieces and I was a little worried because people were saying that the Soulmate was very small and they couldn't wear it.   I thought I would be ok but when I first got it out of the box, my heart sank because it REALLY looked small.  Its totally fine though, I actually like it the way it is, it has enough slack to move around on my arm but there is no threat of it falling off. 

Here is the Calypso  on...


And Soulmate....






Let me just say before I even agreed to do this review I really did my research on this company.  I wasn't crazy about the idea that I would get charged every month even if I didn't buy anything.  First off even after you sign up, they don't charge you a dime until you make your first purchase.   You don't even have to enter your credit card info before that time.  Between the first and fifth of each month you get the chance to skip this month and you will not be charged anything. 

As a special thank to my readers JewelMint is offering 50% off your first purchase!  That's right just use this code JustSayin50 (expires June 1, 2011).  

The super addicting part is the fact that things run out and they don't usually come back.  Though this past week I was overwhelmed with some past beauties that made a return appearance, I currently have 5 pieces on their way to me. I sort of feel sick about it because next week is a new month!!  That means a whole new collection of jewelry will be appearing! 

Here is the one piece that I am so upset that I missed.   It doesn't look like it will be making any return appearance, usually if an item is you can be added to a wait list.  

Be sure to check out the website!   Don't forget to use the code JustSayin50 to get your first piece at half off!!  Just be sure to click the link above to take advantage of this great deal.   Stop back and let me know which piece you choose as well!!  Maybe we can 'enable' each other!!






disclaimer;
I was given two items from JewelMint for free to review.   However, the opinions above are soley my own.   They are no way affected by the free items at all.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A Look Ahead & Organization

Wow.

I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am that it is soon time for summer vacation!!  I'm not even in school anymore and I sure don't get the summer off from my job but I just love this time of the year.   The summer just seems to hold so much promise for exciting things to happen.

We don't have any major summer vacation plans, not that we ever do anyway.   Though we have been talking about doing a mini vacay to Philadelphia.   Cole is over the moon about dinosaurs, mostly TRex.  I have found one of the many museums in the city have a full TRex skeleton and an amazing dinosaur hall exhibit.  So we have been talking about going into the city for a few days and seeing a Phillies game, the dinos and possibly the zoo along with various other Philly attractions.   Last week I started really searching out hotels and I wasn't having much luck, I don't really know much about the city and where we wanted to stay.  I then started looking for Phillies tickets and surprisingly I got some the Phillies stitch n pitch night.  I was ridiculously excited because I'm not much of a baseball fan but I'm all about a chance to sit with a bunch of other knitters and knit!  I'm just not crazy about the fact that it is the week after school lets out and we still aren't sure what we are doing about the other stuff or if we are even staying over night.   I'm also hoping the boys will sit fairly well and watch the game or at least sit and be semi good. We had a sort of introduction to the Phillies this morning.   Today Cole got to 'meet' the Phanatic at our brand spankin' new Walmart.





Cole is there between my mom and the Phanatic, he of course was terrified of him and wanted nothing to do with him.  Hopefully he'll be more excited when we go to the game.  


A few posts ago I wrote and shown how my yarn is organized.   It was a giant mess and knew it needed something.   We are almost finished with remodeling the boys' new bedroom, right off of their new room is an area. Back in the day I believe it was used as a bedroom but now its just a room.   I've decided to turn it into a toy/tv room.  In this room is where I had a hodge podge shelf of some of my yarn.  The rest was in bags and totes all through my house.   Also in this area is an awesome wood hutch that Ryan's grandfather made for mil.   Its not just a hutch, he made it for her to store fabric, patterns and other sewing notions in.   I had been using it haphazardly, sort of a linen closet/place to put random things I don't know what to do with closet.    

Duh.   I'm not really sure why it took me so long to figure out how incredibly  PERFECT it is for me! 



On the left, there are these pegs that were meant to hang fabric from,  they are perfect for hanks of yarn!  I love it so much. I swear every time I walk up the stairs I open the doors just to look at it all!  Though it does make me a little sick seeing it all together like that.  Plus, that's not even all of it. I still have my recent MDSW purchases in the living room in bags yet.    I really have to start using what I have, I am officially on a yarn diet until next years MDSW.   For real.   I mean it. 

Yeah. 

So....

I am ridiculously excited for my three day weekend coming up.  No major plans,  hoping to do some planting on Saturday, family cookouts on Sunday and strawberry picking/relaxing on Monday! 

Stay tuned for a look at my newest addiction as well as a review.  




Have a great weekend!



Thursday, May 19, 2011

Time Flies.

Today was a day I found myself being very reminiscent of the past few years.  I can't believe another MOPS  year has come and gone. Some very good friends that I've made over the past 5 years have 'graduated' from the group today. 

Wow, it just seems  crazy to think that its been 5 years since that day in September when I first walked into the church and joined the group.   I was never so incredibly nervous in all my life.  I'm normally a very shy person especially walking into a place I don't know with people I don't know, back then I was worse then I am now.  Ironically (or not) being a part of MOPS and more so the steering team has helped me get over that. 

A friend was supposed to join me that day but ended up flaking out on me at the last minute, luckily I didn't realize she flaked out on me until after I was already in the door and signed up for the group.  If I had known that she wasn't going to show there is no way I would have braved that walk into the church on my own.  I would have missed out on knowing some of the most friendly, funny, crazy and awesome women I have ever known.
 I fully believe people are brought into your life when you need them most and believe me I needed them more than they will ever know. 

I am the kind of person who has friends and loves having them.   All through school I had the same best friend pretty much since 1st grade up until the day we graduated. Not saying there weren't others along the way or there weren't years where we were closer than others but we were pretty much a constant in each others lives for a lot of years.   After graduation we did stay in touch for awhile and hung out but then I got married when we were 22 and she didn't.  We were leading very different lives and I can remember the day, driving down the road with her and just knowing that the friendship was over as I had known it.  It wasn't anything specific that happended or was said it was just this feeling that I had, I can't explain it and I never said a word about it.  I just knew and I was right.

So after I had Logan I felt so alone.  Of course I had my family and Ryan but its just not the same.   My sister in law and I were (and are) very close but she lived in Philly at the time so that wasn't the same as having a friend to hang out with  or have lunch with who understood where you were in life, having a child.  Especially your first one.   

I have no idea why it took me so long to find out about MOPS but eventually I did.  My friend and I were originally looking into going to a group that was about 15-20 minutes away but I wasn't sold on that.  I'm wasn't nor am I now a morning person.  I knew I wasn't going to make it there by 9am ever.  So I found the website looked up a local group and low and behold I found a group right in my backyard, almost literally.  At a church that I had totally forgot exsisted but I had passed a bazillion times in my life.

As I was saying, today was our last meeting for the year and inevitably, especially over the next few years, more and more of the original friendships I made that first day in Septemember will be changing.  I will no longer see them twice a month during the school year (sometimes more).   Not only was it sad today when these friends were up there giving their speeches about what MOPS has ment to them but it made me realize I only have 3 more years left with the group.  That might seem like alot but these last 5 have gone by in a blink of the eye.  What's even more sad about that is the fact that my babies are growing up so quickly.  What that 3 years also means is that in that amount of time Cole will be entering the 1st grade.   WOW!!!

 It will be weird when that time comes. The day I 'graduate' from MOPS I will have been a part of the group for 8 years.  That is 8 'years' of walking through those church doors at least two times a  month, usually more because of set up days, steering team meetings and the occassionaly MOPS potluck MNO that we hold at the church.  Wow no wonder I feel so comfortable and at home at that church, I sure do spend alot of time there considering I don't even GO to church!

Another thing that has been awesome because of MOPS is seeing Cole make all of these friendships as well.  As I said Logan was 2 when we started so it was different.  Cole has been there since the day he was born. He was with me there even before he was born so he is incredibly comfortable there as well.  It is so cool to see him now have all of these little friends and even when we aren't with them he will bring them up.  Wanting to show this friend something or wanting to play with that one.   That is what I want for my children, friends that they can say truthfully they've known all their lives.  I can't tell you how great it is to go to opening day for baseball and know every other mother or child there because they are either currently a  MOPS mom or they have been at some point.

So, I know I've said it before, if you are like I was and are looking for that support or to make some new friends please look into joining a local MOPS group.  And if you find one and have the time to dedicate do it, look into joining the steering team. That is were the deep friendships are really made. Its alot of work sometimes but it really is worth it. 

Wow!  ok sorry for that rambling...tomorrow will be an exciting post. I promise!!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Updates & MDS&WF

I am RIDICULOUSLY embarrassed  that it has been so long since my last post!!   I guess a week of almost constant blogging is way too much for me.

We have just been running with baseball and other end of the school year activities.   I have also started working 4 days a week instead of my typical 3, believe it or not that 1 extra day makes a huge difference in the amount of 'extra' time I seem to have.   Not to mention the past 90 days with P90X.

We are officially P90X graduates!  Its been about two weeks since we finished.  Ryan just started mentioning today that he would like to start Insanity this week, I however am not ready.  I have decided that I will instead do another round of P90X before I move on to Insanity.   I'm just not 'there' yet.  

In more exciting yarn news, last weekend my friends and I attended this years Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.





  This was my 4th year attending the festival and I must say it was by far the best sheep and wool I've ever been to.   Normally we get there bright and early and try to see it all as quickly as possible.  Last year we were so hot and miserable we left by 12:30 or so.   This year we decided to set up a base camp and just hang out all day.   So that's what we did.  We ended up leaving our houses later then we had planned but we still got there by 8am and snagged the perfect spot.   It ended up being a gorgeous day. Not too hot or cold. Perfect yarn buying weather!! 






After we got base camp set up a few of us wanted to go and hit up the Sanguine Gryphon.  I had only ever heard of their yarn but never seen in irl.  They had just gotten word a few days before the festival that they were even going to be there.   We got to their booth around 8:30 and there was already a line, technically the festival doesn't 'open' until 9am.  Some booths start selling right away and some stick to the 9 am start time.   Of course they were waiting until 9am.  We were relatively early enough that we were left in the booth as soon as they said the word.  It was tight and cramped but overall it wasn't bad.  If you've never been to an event like this you just sort of have to go with a good attitude and deal with the crowds.   Everyone was polite and we were reaching around each other and helping each other out as best we could. 


Sorry for the flipped picture.  The is was the Sanguine Gryphon's booth after I was finished. This I believe was the line to get in the booth, there was a seperate equally long line to pay. 


We ended up staying the whole day at the festival and had a great time.   Here is the rest of my loot....

The top row is all from Brooks Farm for various different projects I have planned.   Then there is my lovely sheepy mug from jennie the potter.   Then there is the skully hat kit with glow in the dark I yarn I got for the boys.   Next to that is my very first ever hank of Sock that Rock.  In previous years I could never even get close to their booth, since we were there later in the day this year, we could get in.  The bright pink hank is Miss Babs.   Then it is my lovely Sanguine Gryphon, two hanks of Little Traveller and 2 of Bugga.  Then some Noro and other little trinkets. 


So thats whats been going on here.  I am offically on a yarn diet. I have so much yarn now, omg!! I have decided if I don't get some of this knit up this year I will not allow myself to go next year.

I have also been doing some organizing/getting ready for a yard sale and I finally organized my yarn stash.   Later in the week Iwill take pictures of my organization, I love it.  I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.  The problem is now all of my yarn is in one place and I really have too much!!