Jewels for Hope will be in the New Haven Register Monday!!

WE WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE
NEW HAVEN REGISTER TODAY!

AH, I am so excited. This was the big news I was talking about earlier in the week. Can you believe it? Jewels for Hope is going to be in the paper! Omg, I am so excited. My mother and I have been cleaning the house like crazy people for the last two days. I found out on Monday that they were coming to the house to see our jewelry, see how we work, etc. Um, they also filmed us! THEY. FILMED. US. We are going to be shown in a video on their website.
  
I am still in shock over this. They left a couple hours ago and I am still shaking. I am so not good in front of the camera- I am definitely a behind the scenes kinda gal. So this really was difficult for me. But I smiled pretty and tried not to stutter. I think I did semi-decent.... but then again- I haven't seen the pictures or the footage yet ha ha.


Once I found out that they were going to film us, no joke, I almost peed myself. I couldn't believe. it. This is HUGE for us. I am so excited. I have been contacting publications for months now, and this is finally our big break. We can now say we were interviewed. And this really couldn't come at a better time- Hospice has been having some difficult times recently- money wise. They are unsure about finding funding- which is definitely not a good thing. If we get our company out there- maybe people will buy more items and then we can donate more to Hospice. It is such a great organization and they can use every dime we can give them.

So this was my big and exciting news the other day- don't you think this is big? I think this is big. I just want to help my mom out the most I could. She is so amazing and since I can't afford to buy her anything nice- this is my way of giving her a gift... getting us into stores and publications. That's a nice gift, right? Hell, if I had money I still don't think anything can compare to this. She is getting a free PR person outta this. well.. that is until Jewels for Hope makes it big- in which case I plan on taking all the money I could from that ha ha. I mean, I do have student loans and such! And since I won't be finished paying those for 10 years- I could use an income :)

Be sure to check back here on Monday- or even before that- because once I get the link to the video online- I will surely be posting it here! Even if I do look ridiculous on it ha ha.

Now, I must run. I am still jittery from all of this excitement- I should try and do something productive like clean my room or something... especially since I threw everything in here to tidy up the rest of the house before they came to do the shooting ha ha

While your waiting, feel free to enter some AWESOME giveaways! Who doesn't like free stuff?

The Zone Diet- Week One Completed!

So, today is the official first week I have completely the Zone Diet. The week actually flew by! I have been super busy so I haven't had time to work out as much as I'd like- but I was able to hit up the gym 2-3 times this week. With that said, I am pretty freaking proud of my weight loss so far. Are you ready for it?

Starting Weight- May 13th: 203.5

Week One- May 18th: 199.5

I lost 4lbs this week! Yay!!! I am not doing my measurements this week since I don't think that has changed at all yet. But the good thing about all of this? My amazing fiance bought me one more week of the Zone! Since he knew I couldn't afford it myself. I thought that was SO sweet of him. So I will be able to be on this for 3 weeks- which is an amazing opportunity! So all of you lovely readers will get an extra week of posts out of me about this ha ha. On my final weigh in I will take my measurements again- fingers crossed it possibly shows a difference? We'll see. I'll be 'gym-ing' it up more this week so I hope my measurements start to change- even if it's very slowly. Slow and steady wins the race I always say! I am trying to get healthy again which I know won't happen overnight. So I am fine with doing this slowly- as long as it is the right way!

So, a little bit about my weekly food? With the Zone- I actually feel full all the time. I am extremely pleased with the food! I have tried so many different diets that I am surprised that I don't feel hungry on this one. And my favorite part of it? They have awesome chocolate chip cookies. yum. I'm a sucker for chocolate. Granted it's not like biting into a Hershey bar- but it'll do for now lol I can see myself doing well on this one. So wish me luck!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

 

Don't forget to enter all of the awesome giveaways I have going on right now! Awesome Vedette Shapewear? Yummy Go Picnic Carepackage? Stunning S.S.C. Photography Prints? 

You can't go wrong! Enter them!

S.S.C. Photography Giveaway

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all having a fabulous day. 

I am excited to be giving all of you amazing Jewels for Hope readers a SECOND CHANCE to win one of these gorgeous prints from S.S.C. Photography. If all of you didn't enter- S.S.C. Photography was one of the great sponsors for the I Love My Mommy Giveaway event... Shannon, the creator, has so generously offered to give another 8.5" x 11" print away!

Shannon's prints are absolutely stunning. I feel she has a wide range of shots that would suit anyone's style! Here are a few of my favorites...

When I look at this last photo of the flowers, it just brightens me up. I love when the sun is shining and it makes me in such a better mood! I feel looking at this photo every day would just make me smile.

S.S.C. Photography has given you the chance to now win one of these prints!
*Please note- this is just a print; no frame will be included.

Want to win it?

MANDATORY ENTRY

Follow me on GFC and head on over to S.S.C. Photography and tell me what your favorite print is! (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES

1. "Heart" S.S.C. Photography on Etsy ( 1 entry)
2. "Like" S.S.C. Photography on Facebook ( 1 entry)
3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave your link ( can be done 3x daily at least 1hr apart) (1 entry per tweet)
4. Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave your link (can be done 1x daily) (1 entry per share)
5. Blog about this giveaway and leave your link ( 3 entries)

BONUS ENTRY!

Buy anything from S.S.C. Photography and get 10 bonus entries!!!!

*This Giveaway is only open to the U.S.

This Giveaway will end at 11:59pm est on June 2, 2011

So Excited!

Hello Everyone! I haven't written yet today because I have been super busy. BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING!  I am so excited and extremely happy about this!!!!!

Unfortunately, I don't want to spill the beans yet so I can't exactly post anything lol. I know you must be super disappointed... but I just can't tell you yet in case it falls through and then I would look like an idiot ha ha. And I would be very sad.

But something I can tell you about this BIG news?? It's about Jewels for Hope and if everything goes well I will be sharing my big news with all of you Wednesday Afternoon. So keep your fingers and toes crossed for us because we really need something good to happen to us. All I want is to help my mom.... she deserves this beyond anything words can describe- so I really hope this goes well! Send us positive thoughts Wednesday Afternoon!!!


So, I must run now. I have so much preparing to do it isn't even funny. AH!

What you can do in the mean time? Enter my Go Picnic Care Package Giveaway and my Vedette Shapewear Giveaway!!! Who wouldn't want to win some yummy treats and then some great shapewear to help you hide all the yummy treats you've eaten? Seems like a win/win to me!

Go Picnic Review & Giveaway!

I have had the great opportunity to try a Go Picnic care package. YUM!. Don't know what Go Picnic is? Well.. Here is your chance to find out! Go Picnic are ready-to-eat snacks that has a little bit for everyone! Personally, I love to snack throughout the day. I am not one of those people who eats 3 meals and that's it. No.. I need my snacks. Go Picnic is perfect for that!

I got the chance to try out their Comfort Food care package. It was delicious! Even though everything in the box was tasty- my absolute favorite was the Chocolate Peanut Butter. Mmm. I had to pry it out of my sisters hands because I didn't want her to finish it all on me. It had just enough chocolate to fulfill my sweet craving.

If you are looking for a very diverse care package- I would definitely suggest this one. The Comfort Food care package came with:

• Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams (16oz.)
• Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps (5oz.)
• Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears (2.75oz.)
• Annie’s Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies Snack Crackers (1oz.)
• Biscoff All-Natural Cookies (4oz.)
• Geraldine’s Santa Barbara Wedding Cookies (6oz.)
• Turkey Stick + Crunch Meal (3oz.)

All the sweet and salty goodness you could ever want. When my package came in the mail- everything was so neatly packaged in the box. Nothing spilled or cracked; it was just perfect.

They have a ton of care packages, all filled with yummy snacks. Some are kids care packages, some for energy boost, and some just for tasty treats!

Well, the fabulous people at Go Picnic have generously offered one Jewels for Hope reader to win a care package of their choice! Want to know how?

Before getting into the entry portion of this post... the best apart about this? If you are not that one lucky winner to get this prize package- Go Picnic has offered my readers 10% off of any order!!!! This is valid through 6/15/2011. All you have to do is enter HOPE10.

MANDATORY ENTRY

Follow me on GFC then head on over to Go Picnic & tell me what your favorite care package is! (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES

1. Sign up for the GoPicnic newsletter (1 entry)
2. Like GoPicnic on Facebook (leave fb name) (1 entry)
3. Follow GoPicnic on Twitter (leave twitter name) (1 entry)
4. Visit GoPicnic's Facebook page AND tell GoPicnic what is your favorite product (or the one you would like to try) and WHY (1 entry)
5. Tweet about this giveaway (leave link. Can be done 2x daily, 1hr apart) (1 entry per tweet)
6. Share this giveaway on Facebook (leave link. Can be done 1x daily) (1 entry per share)
7. Add my button (found on the left) to your blog & leave the link (2 entries)

**This Giveaway is only open to the U.S.

This Giveaway will end on May 30th 11:59pm est.

#Giveaway with LOW Entries! Win Vedette Shapwear!

Hi Everyone! Happy Weekend!

Win some great Vedette Shapewear! Extremely Low Entries! All you have to do?

Click Here!

It's a gorgeous Saturday so far, in Connecticut. Granted- it's only 8am, but still! I am hoping for a great day today. I have a ton of errands to run and having nice weather for that always makes me happy. I hope everyone elses day is filled with smiles and sunshine. And yes, that's totally corny- but it's the kind of mood I'm in right now, so leave me alone. ha ha. Occasionally, I like to be in my own bubble where everything is perfect and nothing is wrong in the world. So smiles and sunshine it is. <3

I won The Zone Diet!!

I was thrilled to find out that I won TWO weeks worth of The Zone Diet from “ Just Married with Coupons.” I couldn’t believe it! I actually started crying a little when I found out I won.. I know that’s a tad bit weird… but I had gained about 20lbs during the first 4 months of me being sick. I stopped weighing myself after that- and since I was sick for about 8 months, I know I definitely gained more then 20lbs, ha ha.

Anyone who knows what it is like to be sick and not be able to move around, or just anyone who has ever had a problem with weight in their lives- you know how difficult it is to loose that weight. I have been struggling with it since the beginning of this year. I have not come anywhere close to loosing the weight I had gained during my sickness.

I know a lot of people who think that gaining weight is just a person stuffing their face and it is their own fault. I hate it when people judge you on your weight… I know so many people who do- it just bothers me. Weight does not make a person.

Yes, I am thrilled to be fortunate enough to win The Zone Diet, but not because of how I look. I need to get healthy again. Gaining so much weight during such a short period of time really is not a good thing. I need to get active again- I need to drop this weight- and know that I am healthy again.

I started The Zone Diet this past Wednesday, May 10^th. I am pleasantly surprised that I am actually not hungry on it!!!! I don’t think I have ever been this full from such smaller portions than what I am used to. Not to say I eat like a slob normally…. But I do love food. This doesn’t let me feel deprived at all. And the best part? IT GIVES ME CARBS. I am such a carbs person- I love them. This gives me my carbs so I feel it’s much easier to actually stick with this. If I were ever to do something like Atkins I don’t think I would survive. I love my bread!

Here is a great shot of what is in the first week:

 Well.. Since I love The Zone so much, only after 2 days, I decided I will write some posts about my 2 week journey. Now, I did not take a picture of myself because I don’t think in 2 weeks it will be THAT noticeable of a change that you can see in a picture. But I DID record my measurements and my weight. Are you ready for it?

Weight: 203.5

Chest: 44”

Stomach: 42”

Hips: 48”

Don’t Judge.

I am hoping that in 2 weeks time, I will have some change. Seeing as how I am still unemployed and can’t afford this on my own- 2 weeks is really all I can do.

Wish me luck on this journey! Fingers crossed this gives me the jump start I need to get this weight loss rolling!

***P.S. No matter what I look like- I can always wear my Vedette Shapwear. Have you entered the Vedette Giveaway yet? Go on! Try and win one for yourself! ***

Vedette Shapewear Review & Giveaway

Today I have a special item I am reviewing.... one that I am in love with actually. Vedette Shapewear. I was so excited to get the chance to review this item because I love anything that will suck me into my clothes pretty much.

I got the chance to review The Waist Cincher- as shown in the picture below. Don't worry- it's not a picture of me in it, ha ha. This was taken straight from the company.

Now, I don't know about you guys, but I have always been on the hunt for great shapewear. I am a thick woman and need a little something to help make my outfits look smooth and something to help squish me in a little. I have had so many issues looking for the perfect one- because normally I can't breathe when I am in one. The last one I had gotten for myself (not Vedette) had boning in it and stabbed me every time I moved. Not really comfortable.

Vedette is the most comfortable shapewear I have ever worn. The one I received had a corset type closure and it was super easy to get on and off. It may look difficult, but it wasn't. SWEAR! I couldn't get over how easy it was to get on me. Nothing stabbed me, nothing moved around, and nothing rolled over when I put it on. All issues I have had with other shapewear products.  I can't wait until I actually have somewhere nice to go where I could put this on underneath. Because personally, I don't really need it while sitting down in my living room in my pj's writing this blog or applying to jobs online ha ha.

For all of you women out there who actually have places to go and people to see.. Vedette has so graciously offered to giveaway an item to one special reader! They will be choosing the item depending on availability of your size- but I swear it would not matter what they decide- they have all types of amazing items!

 

Along with giving away one item to a lucky reader- they are also giving $5.00 off of of any order when you mention Jewels for Hope! Want even more of a discount? If you decide to purchase the same item I received to review, The Waist Cincher,  you will also get an extra 10% off!!! So even if you are not the winner of this amazing giveaway, you still get the chance to get a pretty nice discount off of one of these great pieces!

**In order to use this discount on a purchase, please email info@vedettestore.com and mention Jewels for Hope blog in order to get your discount! I would also link to this post if possible, though not mandatory.

So.. want to win?

MANDATORY ENTRY

Follow my blog on GFC and then go to Vedette Shapewear and tell me what your favorite item is! (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES

1. Like Vedette on Facebook ( 1 entry)
2. Like Vedette on Twitter ( 1 entry)
3. Follow Vedette's Blog (1 entry)
4. Tweet about this giveaway (can be done twice daily at least an hour apart. please leave link) (1 entry per tweet)
5. Share this on facebook (can be done once daily. please leave link) (2 entries for every share)
6. Blog about this giveaway and leave your link (3 entries)

This giveaway is only open to the U.S.
*The giveaway will end at 11:59pm est on May 27th

Sponsor Love

I have to give some fabulous love to all of my sponsors who have been so great to me over the past couple of months- whether it be by offering giveaways, exchanging buttons, giving discount codes to my readers... no matter what you have done- I love you for it. Thank you!

Cajun Scent Shop

Enter Code JEWELS25 for 25% off of gorgeous candles! Valid until May 20th so Hurry it up!

 Jewels for Hope

Enter Code JEWELS015 for 15% off handmade jewelry & cards!

Madness Is

Enter Code JEWELS15 for 15% off funky women's & men's clothing!

 

Hooked On Yarn CT

Great crocheted items. My personal favorite is the scrubbers. They can get baked macaroni right off of a pan with no trouble whatsoever. And they look adorable.

 

Jennie Wu Designs

Handmade clutches/purses/gadget bags! Jennie has great products and also works for a great cause- animal rights. She uses no animal products while making her fun bags!

Design Your Own Cake

We all know I love Rita's delicious cookies. They are cute and fashionable and oh so yummy. Need some cookies that look like shoes? She's got em! Oh, I love shoes!

Sprezzatura Soaps

Popsicle Soaps? Cupcake Soaps? Yes please! They look so good I could eat them!

S.S.C. Photography

I am a picture person. I love photos, and Shannon from S.S.C. Photography has some fantastic pictures. Great photos for any home or office decor!

McCormick Madness Blog

Debbie is the sweetest person! She is so nice and I love her blog. She has great quotes and great pictures in a lot of her posts. Always a great read!!

Olimax Soaps

Anita creates amazing soaps. She has a little bit for everyone from Lip Soaps to Puzzle Pieces! They are truly unique and very fun!

So a BIG thank you to all of my sponsors! You rock!!!

And the Winner Is.....

Hi Everyone!

I just want to thank you all for entering this giveaway! I was so thrilled to get so many entries- this has been my biggest giveaway yet. Thank you all for participating!!!!



I wish I could give each of you a great package, but unfortunately- there is only 1 winner. Do you want to know who that winner is?

The Winner is Lori! Who said:

Lori said... 191

Added to Etsy Favorites Hooked on Yarn

Thank you Everyone!!!!!