Newlyweds Next Door Reviews

Make Me Over Mary Kay!

2011-09-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

As you may remember, I’m going to my 10 year high school reunion soon! So, I was super excited when BlogHer and Mary Kay offered me some new skin care and makeup products to try, both to prep for the big event and to wear at it.

To help fight fine lines, refine pores, and achieve beautifully smooth skin I tried the Timewise Microdermabrasion set.

I used the exfoliating face wash and then the replenishing serum. The set really made my skin feel fresh, energized, and glowing.

Yep, that’s me with no makeup! But honestly my skin felt so nice after the microdermabrasion I didn’t even self-conscious about taking a no makeup picture.

I’ll definitely be using this a few times a week leading up the reunion!

I also got a bunch of great makeup….

Lipstick and mascara.

And a really cool little compact of eyeshadow, blush, and brushes. So great for beauty on the go!

So decided a little trial-run of my makeup for the reunion using my new Mary Kay makeup!

I started with my own foundation and eyeliner only (my staples).

Then I put on the rest of my makeup using my new Mary Kay products (lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow, and blush)

I loved my look!

The compact was a real winner. The eye shadow was easy to apply and really helped to enhance my eyes. And the mineral cheek color gave my cheeks the perfect glow.

I also loved the mascara. It went on clean making my lashes look longer and prettier without looking chunky.

And the lipstick was great too. It was a beautiful color and lasted a long time.

I can’t wait to be looking my best at my reunion thanks to Mary Kay!

Do you want to win $100 worth of Mary Kay products?

You can receive (2) total entries to win by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment on this post telling me which Mary Kay product you'd like to try most.
Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Also, you can visit BlogHer round up page for more chances to win: Visit the Promotions & Prizes section.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/22—10/16/2011, so enter now!

Go here for the Official Rules, but basically:

No duplicate comments.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Shabby Apple Dress Winner

2011-05-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the Shabby Apple North Shore Dress...

And commenter #2 was Meghan!

From Tiny Happy Things

Congrats Meghan! Email me at Newlywedsnextdoor@gmail.com!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway

2011-05-04T07:15:00.001-07:00

I have swooned over Shabby Apple Dresses for a while now. I love the vintage, modest, and stylish look of them. Shabby Apple makes adorable women's dresses, maternity dresses, and even little girls dresses.

So I was very excited when the nice folks at Shabby Apple contacted me to give away one of their dresses to my wonderful readers!

I decided to give away the North Shore dress.

I love this teal dress! It's perfect for an afternoon by the beach or you could doll it up with heels and a clutch for a night out under the stars.

Do you want to win this dress?

Here's how...
- For one entry leave a comment on this post telling me where you'd wear the North Shore Dress if you won it.
- For a second entry go "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a second comment letting me know that you "like" them.

The Rules:
- No duplicate comments.
- This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
- You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- The winner will be able to pick their size of the North Shore Dress and Shabby Apple will mail it to them.
- This giveaway runs from 05/4/2011 – 05/10/2011 (Midnight PST).

AND... even if you don't win, there are couple more ways to get a Shabby Apple Dress for a great price.
- If you visit Shabby Apple {dot} com and enter the coupon code newlywedsnextdoor10off at checkout you can get 10% off of your dress.
- You can "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and get special promotions and exclusive discounts.

*Note: I received no compensation from Shabby Apple in the form of money or products for doing this giveaway.

My Seattle's Best Coffee Level Revealed! And Another Giveaway...

2011-04-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

***This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for your participation!***

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Seattle’s Best.

I love trying new kinds of coffees. I enjoy how some coffees are more bold, or nutty, or rich but there are so many names for coffee it’s hard to know what is what. That’s why Seattle’s Best Coffee started their Coffee Levels – Level 1 is the lightest and mildest coffee and Level 5 is the boldest and darkest coffee.

I recently had a chance to try all five of Seattle’s Best Coffee Levels (no, not all on the same day. That would be a lot of coffee, even for me!).

I started with Level 4 – rich, elegant, and complex. It was very rich, almost like dark chocolate. I like it a lot but one cup was enough because it was so so rich.

Then I had Level 1 – mild, light, crisp. I actually enjoyed this milder blend much more than I thought I would. It was easy to drink and had a slightly sweet aroma.

But I really hit my sweet spot when I tried Level 3 – balanced, smooth, full flavored. It was funny that I liked this one best because that is what I had predicted I would like best. It was very smooth but yet full for flavor.

A close second to Level 3 was Level 2 – Bright, lively, easy drinking. Level 2 reminded me a lot of Level 3. I would definitely buy these two levels again in a heartbeat to be my daily drinkers.

I finished up with Level 5 – Bold, dark, intense. I liked this one too but it was bit too dark for me.

Overall, I liked all of the coffees a lot and think the level system is really cool. I am a little surprised I liked the more medium blends better, because I think of myself as a “strong coffee drinker” but I guess I like my coffee somewhere in the middle so I can drink it black and drink a lot of it!

Seattle’s Best Coffee and BlogHer are giving away another $100 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader!

To enter to win, Visit the Seattle's Best Facebook page to check out the levels and leave me a comment on this post telling me which level (or levels) you'd like to try.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment on this post in response to the prompt above

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

The Rules:
• The Official Rules are available: here
• No duplicate comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
• You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

This giveaway runs from 04/18/2011 – 04/30/2011.

Visit BlogHer round up page for more chances to win: Visit the Exclusive Offers section

Tell me what Seattle's Best Coffee "Level" you are and win!

2011-04-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

***This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for your participation!***

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Seattle’s Best.

My day is not complete without a cup of coffee or two (or even three).

I love drinking coffee with my morning breakfast both when I am at home or when I am traveling for work. I love drinking it in my cold office in the morning or right after lunch (or both). And I love grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend to catch up after work or on the weekends. Sometimes on the weekends my husband will even make me and espresso treat in the fancy espresso maker we got for our wedding. He is the best.

I take my coffee black. Or sometimes black with a bit of non-fat milk. It took me years of coffee drinking to learn to like it without cream and sugar, but I actually prefer it mostly black now. You can call me crazy if you want.

Recently I had the chance to read about Seattle’s Best Coffee’s new “Level” system for packaged coffee.

The Level System allows you to easily find and choose a Seattle’s Best Coffee blend that fits your tastes and personality best – from a mild, light, crisp Level 1 to a bold, dark and intense Level 5. It really takes the "guess work" out of picking a coffee. Pretty cool, right?

I went to the the website to see what Level I thought I would be. Having not yet sampled any of the levels, I think I’m a Level Three.

The Level Three personality says that, “you’re ready for anything. Adept at problem solving, you might be found playing chess, building a tree house, or negotiating a business deal.” That sounds like me, particularly the problem solving and business deal part (which is what I do all day every day).

The Level Three flavor profile is “medium-bodied, medium acidity, nutty nuance, and a clean finish.” Sounds delish! I can't wait to try it with a dash on non-fat milk as I head out the door to the office.

Soon I am going to taste all five levels and let you know what I think. But in the meantime, BlogHer is giving away a $100 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader!

To enter to win, visit the Seattle’s Best Coffee Levels site and leave me a comment on this post to let me know how bold you like your coffee or which level (1-5) you think you are.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the prompt above
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

The Rules:
- The giveaways/sweepstakes run from 4/1-4/17
- The Official Rules are available: here
- No duplicate comments.
- This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
- You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Visit the BlogHer round up page for more chances to win in the Exclusive Offers section!

Stouffer's Sautés for Two review and BlogHer giveaway!

2011-03-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

***This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for your participation!***

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Stouffer's.

When there's a rainstorm in Los Angeles the city can basically shut down – a 20 minute drive can take over an hour.

So when I heard on the news last Friday that a late winter storm was coming our way and saw the weather looking like this in afternoon, I told my husband that instead of doing Friday night date a restaurant like planned, we should a fun date night at home and make an ordinary night a little more fun!

(For those of not from LA, this is ominous weather in our city).

I decided this would be a great night to try a new Stouffer’s Saute for Two. It’s a great gourmet meal for a couple – perfect for after a long week where you don’t have the energy to cook but still want a delicious meal.

The whole entree comes in a one bag. So simple!

To set the mood for our romantic date night at home, I set the table with our crystal wine glasses and silver chargers.

(You know, the stuff you get for wedding, but don’t use too much)

Then I decanted a bottle of our favorite cabernet sauvignon.

Then I put a Steak Gorgonzola Stouffer's Sauté on the stove. It cooked in less than 15 minutes and was so easy to make without over or under cooking it. Even a culinary novice like me couldn’t screw this up. Seriously.

It was perfectly portioned for two people.

We loved every bite! The steak, pasta, and sun-dried tomato were a perfect combo. And the creamy cheese sauce was delicious. (Warning: this was not a low calorie dinner, but it was worth it!)

We lingered at the dining room table, taking and listing to the rain fall outside, and being cozy – making an ordinary night at home extraordinary. I can’t wait to do it again!

So tell me, how do you make an ordinary night with your significant other extraordinary?

Leave me a comment to let me know and you could win a $100 Visa Gift Card courtesy of Blogher !

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave me a comment answering the question above
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) Visit the official rules for additional forms of entry.

The fine print:
- No duplicate comments
- The giveaway runs from 3/17/11 - 4/11/11
- This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
- You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- The official rules: Visit the Official Rules
- The official site: Visit the Official site
- Also visit BlogHer’s Promotions & Prizes page for more chances to win! Visit the promotions & Prizes section

And the winner is...

2011-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

The winner of the "Sharon Necklace" from the Nakate project is...

Modern Day Wife!

Congrats! Email me at newlywedsnextdoor@gmail.com to discuss logistics.

To read more, host a party, or buy necklaces you reach the Nakate project on their website, on facebook, or on twitter.

Nakate Project Necklace Giveaway!

2011-01-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

I was put in touch with a really cool non-profit through a friend of a friend, called the Nakate Project.

The Nakate Project sells beautiful bead necklaces made by women in Eastern Uganda.

Here's the story of the Nakate Project in the words of it's founder, Shanley:

I went to Uganda this past summer to document the work of an aid organization in the Luwero district. I spent several days focusing on Kakooge, a village almost completely wiped out by AIDS in the past few decades. The families left are struggling intensely: many mothers left alone with children, wrecked by polygamy, without hope, many fathers that openly wept when speaking to me, saying that they could not feed their children, that they were too weak from the disease to work.

The organization I worked with has a local outreach called "Life With Hope" that sponsors families struggling with the effects of AIDS. It provides food and medication and, once they are strong enough, provides loans for them to begin sustainable businesses in the area.

The only problem with the program, I discovered, was that there was no market for wares in the village. Even those who were strong enough to work couldn't find sustainable occupations.

I found that many women were depending on the beads to pay their children's school fees, their rent, buy food, etc. but that sales were sporadic, and couldn't be counted on. So I brought back a huge bag of beads intending to make sales more regular. Together with a friend, we set up the Nakate Project, which sells the necklaces online, and at parties held by volunteers in our area. We pay the women back three times what they could make within the country, and use the rest of the money to invest in business opportunities for them in Kakooge, in effort to bring a sustainable market back in the area.

To read more, host a party, or buy necklaces you reach the Nakate project on their website, on facebook, or on twitter.

The Giveaway

To spread the word about the Nakate project I am partnering with them to give away one "Sharon Necklace."

It's 12" with small red beads in between handmade red paper beads, with small bits of blue, black and yellow and tiny bits of white. Gorgeous!

To win this beautiful necklace:
- For one entry: leave a comment on this post letting me know you'd like to win
- For two entries: be a follower of the Newlyweds Next Door blog (http://www.newlywedsnextdoor.com/) and let me know that you're a follower in your comment
- For three entries: be a follower of the Nakate Project on Twitter(http://twitter.com/@nakateproject) and let me know you're a follower in your comment

Leave your comment by Midnight on Saturday, February 5, 2011. I'll announce a winner on Sunday, February 6, 2011.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2010-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

I love photo Christmas cards. I must say that I love getting all Christmas but photo cards are my favorite.

I have a long standing obsession with Shutterfly photo cards. We did our Christmas Cards last year with Shutterfly and I loved them! Seriously, so cute!

This year we're using Shutterfly again. They have so many great cards, their website is really easy to use, and their cards are a great price. I love how many designs they have and customizable their layouts are.

This year, I tried tons of photo Christmas Cards on Shutterfly.com but I think these were my two favorites...

Which one do you like best?

Shutterfly also makes awesome photo calendars , photo mugs, and photo ornaments. I've given all three of these as Christmas gifts in the past to family members and they were HUGE hits with (Mom and Grandma especially). I think photo gifts are so fun and personal.

Are you doing photo Christmas cards this year? Other photo gifts?

CSN Stores Winner!

2010-11-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for entering the CSN Stores Giveaway.

I used a the random number generator on Random.org

The 20th commenter was Sweet Simplicity!

YAY! Email me for how to redeem your gift certificate!

$45 CSN Stores Gift Certificate Giveaway!

2010-10-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Happy (almost) Halloween everyone!

In honor of fall, I'm doing a fun giveaway for a $45 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

Seriously, you can find almost anything at CSN Stores. They have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from contemporary coffee tables to fantastic fitness equipment to cookware!

What would you get from CSN Stores for $45?

Maybe I'd get...

A wine decanter...

Or a new mirror for our guest bathroom...

Or some Le Cruset cookware...

To win this $45 certificate:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what item from the 1000s of items that CSN Stores carries would you get if you had $45.
2. Leave your comment by Midnight on Monday, November 1, 2010.

I'll randomly pick a winner on Tuesday, November 2, 2o10.

Note: You must be from the US or Canada to enter.

Kirkland's Tote Winner

2010-07-19T17:09:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the Kirkland's Tote Giveaway! I wish you all could be winners -- you all thought up such fun and creative uses for the tote!

We had a total of 44 entries!

And the winner was...

And the lucky #7 entry was Kristin!

Kristin said...

Congrats Kristin! Your tote will be in the mail soon!

Kirkland's Tote Giveaway!

2010-07-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer everyone!

This month, for my blog readers, I'm giving away this adorable tote from Kirkland's!

I have one, it's super cute and functional! The material is durable and the pattern is fun!

It so versatile that it can be used many ways -- as a shower caddy on a getaway, for crafting, cleaning, scrapbooking, beach picnics, tailgates, kids toys, and so much more!

How to win this caddy:
- Leave a comment on this post and say what you'd do with this tote if you win
- Be sure to include your blog URL or email so that I can contact you if you win
- Leave your comment by Sunday, July 18th

I'll announce the winner on Monday, July 19th!

Good luck everyone!

Oh and for the lawyers out there, here are Kirkland's official giveaway rules

Playful Threads

2010-03-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the nice people at Playful Threads contacted me to do a product review for them.

I took a look at their site, http://www.playfulthreads.com/, and saw their large collection of lingerie, dresses, jewelry, swimwear, sleepwear, and much more. It was hard to decide what I wanted!

Finally, I decided that my sleepwear could really use some revamping after a long winter of sleeping in lounge pants and t-shirts, so I selected this adorable Sleepwear Camisole with Matching Boy Short set:

Isn't it cute?!

Even though the size on it is "one size" it fits great and arrived at my door really fast! A definite sleepwear improvement!

I will also say that they have some super cute Halloween/costume party outfits. In my sorority girl days I definitely would have ordered either the beer maid or the sultry sailor costume for all the date parties and fraternity exchanges that I went to:

Finally, for a limited time Playful Theads is offering free shipping to my readers! Enter the shipping code: FREENN when you check out and they'll send you your order for free!

Note: I recieved a free Sleepwear Camisole with Matching Boy Short set (retail value $20.00) for doing this review for Playful Threads. I was given no other monetary or product compensation.

And the Winners Are...

2009-11-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

I wish that you all could have been Shutterfly Photo Book Winners! So so many GREAT ideas for photo books!

But the winners (chosen by random.org) are:

Brittany Ann

&

Tris-star

Brittany Ann said "I'd love to do a photobook documenting our first year of marriage!"

And Tris-star said "This would be awesome to win! I just got engaged so I would make a book with all of the pictured from our engagement trip!"

Happy scrapbooking ladies!

Shutterfly Photo Book Giveaway!

2009-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Are your digital photos just sitting on your computer?

Now is your chance to free them and put them in a Shutterfly Photo Book!

That's right, I'm giving away TWO free Shutterfly Photo Books

Two lucky winners will receive either a 7x9 soft cover photo book from or an 8x8 soft cover photo book from Shutterfly.com.

(How it works is that the free books are actually codes for photo books on http://www.shutterfly.com/. The winners will get the codes emailed to them with instructions. Then you upload your pictures, choose your page layout and and the book is free! )

You can enter to win two ways:
1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what pictures you'll put in your photo book and you'll receive one entry!
2. Be a follower on my blog, http://www.newlywedsnextdoor.com/ and you'll receive two entries!

This giveaway ends midnight on Tuesday, Novemeber 17. So enter now!

Shutterfly Photo Book Review

2009-11-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

In high school and college I was HUGE scrapbooker. But in recent years I'm less and less into it. The time and the cost of paper scrapbooking have become huge factors for me.

I've recently started making some digital scrapbooks/photobooks. Back in June I blogged about making a Honeymoon Photobook on Blurb, I've also done a Kodak Gallery Book for my Baptism, and MyPublisher Book for our Engagement Pictures/Wedding Guest Book.

Here they all are:

So I was really excited when someone from Shutterfly offered me a free 8x11 Photobook!

I used my Shutterfly book to capture all of our "Wedding Festivities" -- basically the events around our wedding like Bridal Shower, Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, etc that weren't the actual "big day."

I think the book turned out great!

Here are some of my Bridal Shower pages...

And our Rehearsal Dinner...

{Click to enlarge any of these pages}

Here is a look inside of all of my photobooks (the Shutterfly one is on the upper left side).

What I liked about Shutterfly:
- Really high quality book
- Cute backgrounds to choose from
- Lots of layout choices
- Easy to use
- GREAT prices
- Fast shipping

The only thing I didn't like is that the website seemed a tad bit slow at times (probably because of the large size of the photos in my book). And you have to be connected to the internet at all times since you build the book online (you don't download software).