Counting Your Calories? Here's an App for You!

I am lucky (in a way) that I don't have to count my calories.
It's mostly due to a medication I take that suppresses my apatite. I don't eat much because I don't feel hungry. This is bad in a lot of ways because I can find myself at 8 o'clock at night having forgotten to eat all day.

But I know that a lot of people need and or want to count the calories they eat and there is a website that can help them. It's called CalorieCount.com and there is a whole community there for support for people needing to lose weight.

And they are going MOBILE!

That's right! There is now an app available for your iPhone or the like that is FREE that can help you know what you are eating.

Calorie Count App Key Features:

• An easy-to-use dashboard with graphics that allows users to navigate through the application while being able to quickly visualize their dieting progress.
• One of the most comprehensive nutritional analyses of food consumption - against daily targets - among calorie counting iPhone Apps.
• The ability to quickly search and easily log more than 100,000 food items.
• Tools to view current and past food, activity and weight logs including a graph of your weight history.
• More than 150 low-calorie recipes from About.com (www.about.com), selected by Calorie Count's registered dietitian, Mary Hartley. This interface allows users to select recipes based on course, food group and dietary considerations.
• Access to Calorie Count's daily blog (www.caloriecount.com/blog) to help users stay motivated and informed.
• The ability to record daily weight, and view charts and graphs to measure your body's progress against weight-loss goals.
• Automatic updates of information logged on Calorie Count member accounts through a computer or the iPhone App.
• An offline mode that allows members to view recent logs, view and re-log favorites, and input their weight without an Internet connection.

How cool is that?
And it's FREE!!!

I have more exciting news.
If you have any questions I can have a nutritionist come back to the blog to answer them for you. So leave them in the comment section and she will pick the 10 best questions and come back for an interview to address your concerns.

It's very important to eat healthy foods. Me, I just need to remember to eat.

Disclosure:  I received no compensation for this post. I just thought it was important.

BLOGMANIA WINNER

Since this was such a big prize and there were a lot of entrants I went over each entry carefully as I moderated them.

Some people did enter two comments; one for the piece they liked from my shop and one for the follow. I eliminated one from those entries so there was a level field of just one entry per person.

I went to Random.org and this is what came out:

Here are your random numbers:

17

Timestamp: 2010-05-01 04:09:18 UTC

The lucky winner is:

Armenia!!!!!

I will send an email and she will have 72 hours to confirm or I will choose a new winner.

I want to thank everyone who came and entered. I truly appreciated all of the lovely comments you made about my designs. It made my day extra special!

Blogmania!

Click Here for Blogmania Giveaway!!

Be sure to read the rules and:


Follow my blog
Comment on what piece of jewelry you like from Broken Teepee Designs


PLEASE PUT YOUR ENTRY ON ONE COMMENT.
Thank you.

Do not comment on this post. You need to comment on THIS POST. 

I am sorry for the confusion

Book Review: Allon by Shawn Lamb (Young Adult, Fantasy)

From Amazon:

The land of Allon was a paradise until the fall of the Guardians paved the way for the rise of the Dark Way. Evil King Marcellus now controls the land as his forefathers did, with an iron fist and the help of the evil spirit, Dagar. But an ancient prophecy speaks of a time to come when the Guardians will return and Allon will be restored--lead by its rightful heir. All the while, the exiled teenage Promised Prince, Ellis, must prove himself worthy to be king through a series of supernatural trials that test his character, wisdom, courage, and his heart.

About the Author:

Shawn Lamb has written for children's television and has won several screenwriting awards, including a Certificate of Merit from the American Screenwriters Association. She is active in various church ministries and has created her own curriculum based upon Proverbs 31. Shawn lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband of 25 years and their college-aged daughter.

My Opinion:

I have read some Young Adult fiction - mainly the Harry Potter series, which I read straight through. With 10 nieces and nephews - 2 of them 15 years old - I figure it wouldn't hurt for me to read some more to see if I could find good books to pass on to them.

Allon is a tale of a mythical place that was once great but has fallen under The Dark Way. Young Ellis finds that he is heir to the throne of Allon and with the help of the Guardians and other mortals faithful to the old ways he works towards fulfilling prophecy.  Included in that prophecy is Shannan - his companion - The Daughter of Allon. Unless the two complete their missions Allon will not be restored to peace.

This is Book 1 and there is a teaser at the end that sets up the next Book.

I found the book to be easy reading and the tale to be interesting. I may be old in my thinking but I thought that perhaps the depiction of the torture might be a bit too much for the young adult audience? Let me know if I am wrong here....I don't have children and I might not be up on what's au courant. I just felt uncomfortable reading it so I could only imagine how a teenager would feel.

Overall I did like the story and am interested in following it further.

The author offers a very cool website all about Allon.

Allon is available at Amazon.com


















Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of Allon for review. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

BLOGMANIA IS HERE!!!!!

WELCOME To BLOGMANIA !

My Blog is 13 of 123

You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which,  

ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY   

. (For One Day Only – April 30^th) 

We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing. Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Why not take a moment to make a list of blog numbers  1-123 and check off the blogs as you go.

I know you’ll want to visit as many blogs today as you can. So, if you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures. 

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

MY GIVEAWAY and RULES: 

I am giving away a necklace from my jewelry shop on etsy, Broken Teepee Designs. 

Behold

Love in the Garden of Ice and Snow

It is a necklace made of many different pearls, white and silver; keishi, akoya and freshwater with a stunning merlot pearl at center.  You can find more details HERE. It will arrive in a beautiful gift box by insured, priority mail.
(Retail value: $185.00US)


How do you win? It's easy!
Especially easy today!

MANDATORY ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog
2. Go to my Broken Teepee Designs and tell me one other item you like.

That's it! 

You just need to enter one comment -  be sure you include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Good luck everyone.  
I will accept entries until 11:59 EDT (9:59 MDT) on April 30.


THIS IS A ONE DAY GIVEAWAY FOR BLOGMANIA!!

I will go to Random.org to choose the winner on May 1. The winner will have 72 hours to respond or I will have to choose a new winner.

Be sure to check out all the other great Blogmania Blogs and their wonderful giveaways!

 

(Blog- 1) – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages - http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/

(Blog-2)– CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) The Black Sheep Dances - http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com

(Blog-43) - CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Books, Books Everywhere - http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/

 (Blog-21) Amundsen House of Chaos - http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com/

(Blog-38) Parajunkee's View -  http://www.parajunkee.com/

(Blog-58) A Journey of Books - http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net

(Blog- 98) Bertram's Blog - http://ptbertram.wordpress.com

(Blog-16) Coupon Clippin’ Mommy - http://www.couponclippinmommy.com/

(Blog-116) Chrissy’s World of Books - http://chrissysworldofbooks.blogspot.com/ 

(Blog-23) Enjoy Life, Enjoy Now - http://rantsravesandpetpeeves.blogspot.com

HAVE FUN!!!!!!

Giveaway: Village Candle Lemon Pound Cake 11oz Jar Candle

Don't you just love the smell of a delicious scented candles?
I know I do. There is nothing I like more than sitting down in swirl of Spring Lilac or Freesia.
Mmmmm. It helps to soothe or energize - totally depending on the scent you choose. That's why I like to have an assortment on hand. I never know what kind of mood I'm going to be in.

And a beautiful candle makes a PERFECT Mother's Day gift!
You know that Mom would love to receive the gift of Spring in a jar! The way the weather has been lately it might be the only way she gets it! heh heh
You can find her a candle that fits her decor in a fragrance she will adore.

Candles fit so many moods; fill so many purposes. I light one after dinner to make the house smell sweet and I can't wait to have a few lined up by my new soaking tub. You have no idea how I can't wait....
Village Candle has the candle for every room, for every mood. And I'm excited to report that I will soon have a review for their new Lemon Pound Cake Jar Candle. It will be a perfect color for my new bathroom!

But in the mean time two of you will be lucky enough to win the very same Village Candle Lemon Pound Cake 11oz Jar Candle. How cool is that?

How do you win? It's easy!

But first, some rules:

US only
No PO Boxes

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Go to Village Candle and tell me another candle you would be interested in other than the Lemon Pound Cake. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1.  Follow @VillageCandle on Twitter
2.  Become a Fan (click Like It) of Village Candle on Facebook
3.  Follow my blog publicly
4.  Follow @BrokenTeepee on Twitter and tweet the following (can be done once per day) -
@BrokenTeepee and @VillageCandle are bringing the scent of Lemon Pound Cake to your home @http://tinyurl.com/267tsss #giveaway
5.  Become my friend on Facebook
6.  Follow my goat Pricilla's blog
7.  Blog about this post with a link back to Broken Teepee and Village Candle (good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)
8.  Add my button to your blog (good for 3 entries so leave three comments)
9.  Join my Networked Blogs - widget is off to the right
10.  Put Broken Teepee on your blogroll and leave the link where it can be found
 

All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on May 13th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winners.  They will have 48hrs to respond or I will choose new winners.

Good luck everyone.  And remember - Mom would LOVE a candle from Village Candle for Mother's Day which is right around the corner!

Disclosure:  I received the opportunity to giveway and review Village Candles from my relationship with The Product Review Place. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Blogmania is TOMORROW!!!!!

That's right!
Over 100 blogs with an array of prizes that is astounding!
Broken Teepee is blog number 13.
Woo hoo for us!

So be ready to visit because I remind you that the prize available here is the last prize for the April Wedding Showers month. It's a necklace I designed and created called

Love in the Garden of Ice and Snow

It has a retail value of $185.00 and is comprised of silvery grey and creamy white keishi pearls, beautiful Akoya pearls, freshwater pearls and that stunning merlot pearl at the center.  You can read more about it HERE. Plus see more photos.

It would be lovely for a bride or for any special occasion.

The post to enter will be live at 12:01 and it is open to all - domestic and international.

The rules will be simple so be sure to check back!!!!

Giveaway: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Girlfriend Getaways

Mmmm, wouldn't you love to getaway?
Just you and a girlfriend or two?
I know I would but there aren't many places that take goats.

*sigh*

So while I may be stuck in grey, rainy Montana YOU don't have to be.
Why?
Because I have 5 copies of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Girlfrien Getaways to give away.
Woo hoo!

This is the book out of all The Complete Idiot's Guides that won as FAVORITE.

And now 5 of you are going to win it!!!

How cool is that?
And hey - if any of you go away

DO YOU NEED A GIRLFRIEND? 'CAUSE I REALLY NEED A VACATION!!!!!

OK, I'm glad I got that out.

Now, how do you win? It's easy, but first some rules:

US and Canada only

No PO Boxes

One book per person no matter how many blogs you might win on.

MANDATORY ENTRY:

If you could go anywhere with your girlfriends where would you go?  Be sure to leave me an email address so I can stalk you and beg you take me with you contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog publicly. If you already follow, just say so. And thank you.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - Broken Teepee and The Complete Idiot's Guides are showing you were to go for a Girlfriend Getaway@http://tinyurl.com/2fol64o#giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee (this is good for 6 entries so leave 6 comments)
4. Follow @IdiotsGuides on twitter
5. Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways. Good for one entry per...

6. Put me on your blogroll and leave a link where I can find it. 

7. Add my button to your blog and leave me a link where I can find it.( Good for 3 entries so leave 3 comments)
8. Join my networked blogs - the widget is off to the right.
9. Become my friend on facebook  
10. Follow my goat Pricilla's Blog publicly. If you already do, just say so. And thank you.

All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on May  12th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winners. They will have 48 hrs to get back to me or I will choose new winners.

Good luck everyone.

Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Girlfriend Getaways. I received no monetary compensation for this post. 

Book Review: The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview

From the Publisher's Website:

A young lady in disgrace should at least strive to behave with decorum…
Dispatched from America to England under a cloud of scandal,
Mr. Darcy’s incorrigible American cousin, Clarissa Darcy, manages to provoke Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Collins, and the parishioners of Hunsford all in one morning!

And there are more surprises in store for that bastion of tradition, Rosings Park, when the family gathers for their annual Easter visit. Georgiana Darcy, generally a shy model of propriety, decides to take a few lessons from her unconventional cousin, to the delight of a neighboring gentleman. Anne de Bourgh, encouraged to escape her “keeper” Mrs. Jenkinson, simply…vanishes. But the trouble really starts when Clarissa and Georgiana both set out to win the heart of the same young man…

About the Author:

As a literature professor, Monica Fairview enjoyed teaching students to love reading. But after years of postponing the urge, she finally realized what she really wanted was to write books herself. She has lived in Illinois, Los Angeles, Seattle, Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Boston as a student and professor, but now lives in London

My Opinion:

What a lark!
As I have mentioned before I came to Jane Austen late in life and was very happy that I decided to read all of her books. I completely understand why they have stood the test of time; love is love after all. And the pursuit of love is a universal topic in novels. What makes a book great is the HOW in the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy marries girl plotline. Austen was a master - her dialog was witty and sharp and it transcends time.

Many authors have decided use Austen as a base for a new novel. Some well, some not so well. Monica Fairview has extended the life of Pride and Prejudice VERY well. While the book is about Mr. Darcy's cousin Clarissa we again fall into the lives of stuffy Lady Catherine de Bourgh, uptight Mr. Collins and of course Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy and to my delight Georgina.

I always liked Georgina and it's nice to see her story continued in such a lovely way. Of course there are trials, tribulations and oh! scandal along the way but the writing is light, happy and while true to Austen's style it does have a tone all its own.

I really enjoyed it and hope to find Ms. Fairview's other book The Other Mr. Darcy.

Great news!  The Darcy Cousins is 35% off through May 5th at Sourcebooks.com  Just use the code 35APR10 at checkout to receive the discount.

After that, The Darcy Cousins is available at Amazon.com
















Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of The darcy Cousins from Sourcebooks. Any opninions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Giveaway: Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo

From the Publisher's Website:

Separated by time
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written--a novel called Trial.

Connected by blood

As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.

United by bravery

When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror--but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.

About the Author:

The subject of a recent Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone.  In 2007, one of every 15 hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title.  In total, James's books have sold an estimated 150 million copies worldwide.  He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year — a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005.  To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times Bestselling Novels, and holds the New York Times record for most bestselling titles by a single author (40 total).

Patterson is a champion of reading and the founder of the PageTurner awards, which seek to spread the excitement and joy of books and reading in the United States. James's first foray into family fiction, the critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series, debuted on the New York Times list at #1 and remained there for 12 straight weeks. The series has so far made appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists 87 times, proving that kids of all ages love page turners.

Alex Cross's Trial is available at Amazon.com














My review will be forthcoming.


But in the meantime I am happy to report that I have one copy to give away thanks to The Hachette Book Group. Yay to The Hachette Book Group!

How do you win? It's easy but first some rules:

US and Canada only
No PO Boxes.
Only one copy per person no matter how many blogs you may win on.

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Leave me a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog publicly. If you already follow, just say so. And thank you.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - @BrokenTeepee and Hachette Books are giving away Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson @http://tinyurl.com/28fdzjl #giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee (this is good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)
4. Follow my goat Pricilla's Blog publicly. If you already do, just say so. And thank you. 
5. Enter any of my other current giveaways. Good for one entry per...

6. Put me on your blogroll and leave a link where I can find it. 

7. Add my button to your blog and leave me a link where I can find it. (Good for 3 entries so leave 3 comments)
8. Join my networked blogs - the widget is off to the right.
9. Become my friend on facebook


All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on May 12th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winner. He/she will have 48hrs to respond or I will choose a new winner.


Good luck everyone!


Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of Alex Cross's Trial from The Hachette Book Group. My review will be posted at a later date. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Giveaway Winners: Shutterfly Photobooks

Three lucky winners will be making some beautiful memories thanks to Shutterfly.com

They will get to make an 8 x 8 hardcover, 20 page photobook. Woo hoo!

The lucky comments are:

Here are your random numbers:

166 44 92

Timestamp: 2010-04-28 03:43:33 UTC

And the winning commenters are:

RachelC
CarolinaGirlMommy
Sweetpea08

I want to thank everyone who entered and remind you that you can always go to Shutterfly and photobook away like I have done and will do.

Thanks Shutterfly! I love you!

I will be sending emails to the winners and they will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose new winners.

Book Review: The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire by C.M. Mayo

From the Publisher's Website:

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is a sweeping historical novel of Mexico during the short, tragic, at times surreal, reign of Emperor Maximilian and his court. Even as the American Civil War raged north of the border, a clique of Mexican conservative exiles and clergy convinced Louis Napoleon to invade Mexico and install the Archduke of Austria, Maximilian von Habsburg, as Emperor. A year later, the childless Maximilian took custody of the two year old, half-American, Agustín de Iturbide y Green, making the toddler the Heir Presumptive. Maximilian’s reluctance to return the child to his distraught parents, even as his empire began to fall, and the Empress Carlota descended into madness, ignited an international scandal.

This lush, grand read is based on the true story and illuminates both the cultural roots of Mexico and the political development of the Americas. But it is made all the more captivating by the depth of Mayo’s writing and her understanding of the pressures and influences on these all too human players. Her prose makes the reader taste the foods, smell the spices and flowers and feel the heat of Mexico. Mayo writes for the senses. And for the ages. The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is a story both sweeping and intimate, of geopolitics, the glamour of royalty, and the grit of military command, of the arrogance of power, the dark labyrinths of ambition, and, above all, of a child who was not, in the end, a prince, but a little boy who belonged to his parents.

About the Author:

C. M. Mayo has been living in and writing about Mexico for many years. Her story collection, Sky Over El Nido, won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. She is also the author of a widely acclaimed travel memoir and is an avid translator and editor of contemporary Mexican literature.








My Opinion:

I have to admit to a woeful lack of knowledge about Mexico's history. That is part of what drew me to this book in the first place. Being someone who is drawn to historical novels but who usually chooses books written about European countries this was going to be a learning experience for me.

I am so very glad I decided to learn as I have found a new favorite book.

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire tells the tale of Augustin de Inturbide y Green and so much more. After the French had invaded and managed to exert some control over Mexico they needed a ruler of some kind for the people of Mexico to look up to. They went to Maximillian von Hapsburg the Archduke of Austria and offered him the crown and title of Emperor of Mexico.  Maximillian is a very interesting figure in history; as he comes through in the novel he did not lack for self confidence. But in order to rule Mexico he had to give up his rights as a Hapsburg and this troubled him mightily - to the point that three days before he was due to leave for his new country he changes his mind and refuses the crown.  He wife Charlotte, hungry for power, and from a long line of rulers herself fights hard for Maximillian to accept the crown finally convincing him to do so. He signs the so called "Family Pact" giving up his claim to the Hapsburg throne.

Maximillian's rule was more about protocol and appearances than about actually making Mexico a thriving country. As unrest started to build he started looking for ways to quell it and so turned to the former "Liberator's" family - the Inturbides.  The Liberator had been executed and his family had been living in exile; some in Philadelphia, some in Georgetown.  Angelo de Inturbide was part of Mexico's diplomatic corps and attending a party at the White House when he meets Miss Alice Green.

Alice Green is the youngest daughter of a slightly impoverished but good family living on a "country estate" called Rosedale. Her family tree included General Uriah Forrest who fought with George Washington in the Revolutionary War amongst other well known American families.  It was love at first sight for both Alice and Angelo.

Neither mother was happy with the match but Alice's saw her daughter's happiness and came around. Angelo's refused to acknowlege it and never met her daughter in law.  Alice and Angelo head off to Mexico as his career dictated. Alice is at first discomfited but soon adapts to life in a new country. Now Alicia she soon learns the language and the customs. She is still a bit of a social climber and she does not get along well with her sister in law who thinks she is beneath her.

Soon young Augustin is born and all seems well. But as Augustin reaches his second birthday Maximillian's
reign is truly experiencing struggles. He feels threatened by the presence of the Inturbides in Mexico.  He comes up with the plan to make young Augustin his Heir Presumptive.

I don't want to give away too much. I probably have already but I feel like I could write about this book all day and beyond. It is THAT good. I found myself so involved in the lives of the characters I now want to go and research and learn more about Mexico's history. From reading the afterward in the book the author had to do quite a bit of research to write this book because as fascinating as this tale is most history books relegate it to mere snippets. I love when a book fires my interest to the point that I want to learn more and more and more.

Ms. Mayo is writing a sequel concentrating on Augustin's adult life and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The writing style is easy to read, draws you in and you don't want to leave. I have learned and been entertained all at the same time. What more can you ask of a book. This is one that will stay in my library to be read again.

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is available at Amazon.com
















Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire from Unbridled Books for review. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

April Wedding Showers: FOR ADULT EYES ONLY - EdenFantasys

Wedding showers are supposed to be fun but we all know that sometimes they are just plain BORING.
Why not be the one to liven things up by giving the bride a really fun present.
That's right.
Be the life of the party.
Why not give her a box of sex toys?

Awww, come on. We're all adults here!
There aren't going to be any baby showers without the sex!
Why not bring a box of fun from EdenFantasys?

They carry a wide range of products from the romantic to the exceedingly exotic.
And why not start with a nice little vibrator.

This is the Bottle Rockets Saturn and it even comes in a little plastic soda bottle. Cute, huh?
It's buzz is a touch annoying, I will say that. Rather like a bunch of angry bees.
Bees are not a good thought in the middle of good feelings if you know what I mean.....

It would make a great gift for the bachelorette party! Why not give one to all the bridesmaids, eh?
Might have everyone nice and relaxed for the wedding. Heh.

So check it all out. I'm telling you. You will be the hit of the shower.

Disclosure:  I received a gratis Bottle Rocket Saturn. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free product. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Giveaway Winners- MissNowMrs.com

I am very happy to announce the winners of the winners of the MissNowMrs.com gift cards. I am sorry I could not give a card to everyone but remember if you need the premier online name change service you can just go to MissNowMrs.com!

The lucky comments are:

18  29  50  4  13

and the commenters are:

MisusedInnocence
CallMeKayla
Anonymous
ShootingStarsMag
JessicaK

Yay!

I will be sending an email in the morning as it is late and the winners will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose new winners.

Thanks to everyone who entered. And a BIG THANK YOU to MissNowMrs.com for sponsoring the giveaway.

Yurtgress - I Came, I Saw, I Tiled!

I now have a backsplash in my kitchen.
It isn't grouted yet but the tile is up.
Woo hoo!
I have never had a backsplash. Both of my former houses just didn't have one.
Nor have I tiled before.
Two new things in one day.
Woo hoo again!
I went with simple black ceramic 4 x 4s but as with anything in this yurt there was nothing simple about it.
Since the house is made up of 36 panels there is a joint where each panel meets so the wall surface isn't smooth. Each joint is 12* so I couldn't just put one tile after another. There are some cuts where the joints occur but with the black grout (when I get to it on Monday) I don't think it will be noticeable at all.

I made one space error with cuts but I'm not going to tell you where it is.
Ha! I'm hoping grout takes care of that too.
The hubby did the tile cutting. I figured with the lack of control I have over my hands I would end up cutting my fingers instead of the tile.
I'm very happy with how it turned out but for some reason the photo makes it look like it doesn't line up with the stove hood. Trust me, it does.

Ok - let hear those oooooohs and aaaaaaaahs.
Simple but I like the way it looks.

There is a single line of tile all along the countertop.

AND my stove is completely installed; the gas is hooked up and it's ready to use.
Another WOO HOO for that!
The only thing waiting for installation now is the dishwasher and the hubby is going to Missoula this week to pick up the various plumbing pieces he needs to do that.

I'm going to go looking for some cabinet storage aids while I'm down there. You know I have raved about Rubbermaid in the past and these are what I hope to find:

This slide out lid organizer is great. I have a pot rack for my well, pots but it has no way to store the lids. This will help to keep them organized and easy to find.

Some turntables. I have that huge cabinet in the corner and it's hard for me to reach all the way into the back of it. If I put what I want to keep back there on these cool lazy Susans I can get to them much more easily.

I know I will get several slide out baskets. They just make life so much easier. They hold up to 15lbs!

It is so much fun to be setting up a new kitchen. And I'm just about building this one from scratch.
It's a shame you can't have a bridal shower for your 30ieth anniversary. heh

Disclosure:  I received no monetary compensation for this post. Rubbermaid has provided me with a Configurations Closet System that the hubby will be installing in our bedroom and I will be posting about that shortly.

Review and Giveaway: The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 1 DVD

About the DVD Set:


Bravo heads to the Garden State to follow the five most Jersey of all Jersey Girls as they live lavish lifestyles and deal with all the drama that money can buy.

The hair is big, but the drama is bigger in The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Season One. For the first time in Real Housewives history, the ladies are more than just friends – joining the cast are two sisters, who are married to two brothers – and one sister-in-law, bringing a whole new level of familial drama to the table. While family remains a priority for each of these women, their shopping, decorating, dating and even fighting are all over-the-top.

From their wild weekend in Atlantic City to the infamous table flip, watch every episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Season One including the two Watch What Happens episodes, The Lost Footage and the director's cut of the season finale, all of 3 DVDs.

Included on the 3 DVDs:

DISC 1 (approx 157 min): Season Preview / Thicker Than Water / Mama Knows Best / Not One of Us / bonus – Text Bios

DISC 2 (approx 135 min): Black & White & Read All Over / Casinos and C-Cups / The Last Supper (Finale)

DISC 3 (approx 180 min): The Last Supper Director’s Cut / Reunion: Watch What Happens, Pt. 1 / Reunion: Watch What Happens, Pt. 2 / The Lost Footage / bonus – Quiz

The Real Housewives of New Jersey is available at Amazon.com













My Opinion:

Oh my gawd!
The hair!
The language!
The accents!

I am from New Jersey and those of us from the Garden State know there is an invisible line cutting cattycorner through it dividing North Jersey from South Jersey. I am from South Jersey and the Philadelphia folk.  The Housewives are from North Jersey and are New York folk. It did bring back lots of memories, though. I went to college in North Jersey.

I have to admit to the guilty pleasure of watching the Housewives; I saw more of the original Real Housewives of Orange County, a bit of the New York group and laughed uncontrollably at the Atlanta crowd.  I had not had the opportunity to view the New Jersey woman because we had downgraded our satellite service and I lost my Bravo.

This group of women seem a touch more incestuous than the other groups as three of them are related but that adds a whole dynamic that doesn't exist in the other cities. I watched it straight through on a Sunday of reality TV gluttony. It was cathartic as laughter is good for the soul.  These ladies are hysterical. I can't believe they take themselves this seriously. They do certainly prove that money cannot buy class.

The dinner party scene is worth the price of the DVDs alone. I think I watched it three times. OMG! It is seriously ridiculous, sad, funny and pick any other adjective you want.

It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday that I didn't feel well. I only hope I get to view the second season.

And guess what? One of you will get to experience the Housewives of New Jersey in all their tacky glory!
I have one DVD to give away thanks to A&E Home Entertainment the distibutor of The Real Housewives of New Jersey DVD.  Par-Tay!

How do you win? It's easy! But first, a rule or two:

US only, no PO Boxes.

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Leave me a comment telling me if you have watched any of the Housewives or not. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog publicly. If you already follow, just say so. And thank you.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - @BrokenTeepee and A&E Home Entertainment are giving away The Real Housewives of NJ DVD@http://tinyurl.com/2efs7p5 #giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee (this is good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)
4. Follow my goat Pricilla's Blog publicly. If you already do, just say so. And thank you. 
5. Enter any of my other current giveaways. Good for one entry per...

6. Put me on your blogroll and leave a link where I can find it. 

7. Add my button to your blog and leave me a link where I can find it. (Good for 3 entries so leave 3 comments)
8. Join my networked blogs - the widget is off to the right.
9. Become my friend on facebook


All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on May 7th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winner. He/she will have 48hrs to respond or I will choose a new winner.


Good luck everyone.


Disclosure:  I received a gratis 3DVD set of The Real Housewives of NJ for review. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free DVDs. I received no monetary compensation for this post. I rececived this opportunity through my relationship with The Product Review Place.

Book Review: Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden

From the Publisher's Website:

Glorious is set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights era. Blending fact and fiction, Glorious is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path to success, ruin, and ultimately revival offers a candid and true portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty.
It is a novel informed by the question that is the title of Langston Hughes's famous poem: What happens to a dream deferred? Based on years of research, this heart-wrenching fictional account is given added resonance by factual events coupled with real and imagined larger-than-life characters. Glorious is an audacious exploration into the nature of self-hatred, love, possession, ego, betrayal, and, finally, redemption.

About the Author:

BERNICE L. McFADDEN is the author of six critically acclaimed novels including the classic Sugar and Nowhere Is a Place, which was a Washington Post Best Fiction title for 2006. She is a two time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist for fiction, as well as the recipient of two fiction honor awards from the BCALA. Her sophomore novel, The Warmest December, was praised by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison as "searing and expertly imagined." McFadden lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is working on her next novel.

My Opinion:

 Glorious is the tale of Easter Bartlett who experiences early on the painful truth of being black in America in the early 1900s. While the Civil War is long over we all know the history of racial relations in the South.  Easter's way of dealing with life's problems is to run. So she ends up running all her life never truly confronting an issue. Just running.

Easter's one solace is writing. Throughout all of her life she writes stories. Stories that tell the tales of her struggles, of her pain, of her loves. She finally receives some attention for her writing when it is all taken away from her by a wrenching betrayal. So does Easter stand up for herself? No, she runs.

This was a very raw book. It touches on very difficult issues of race from a time in this country's history that still resonates. I am not black so I cannot know the pain of this discrimination but the author does an excellent job of conveying it in the book. The book is well written with touches of dialect from the times. It takes you from the Jim Crow South to the emergence of Harlem in New York.  It was good book but a tough book to read for its content. I am glad that I read it.

Glorious is available at Amazon.com














Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of Glorious for review. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Giveaway Winners - Iron Man 2 and UPrinting Postcards

This is a big week for winners and boy isn't that fun?!

No bad weather tonight so I'm actually on time. Woo hoo for me!

Thanks to UPrinting.com one lucky person is going to be making some custom postcards.
The winning comment is:

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 49 

The comment belongs to:
 DeAnna!!!

Yay!


The winning comments for the Iron Man 2 book are:

102
13
78

The lucky commenters are:

CallMeKayla
Bethie
Dina

Woo hoo. A great big THANK YOU goes out to The Hachette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway.
And for those of you that didn't win you can still buy Iron Man 2 at Amazon.com















I will be sending emails and the winners will have 48 hrs. to respond or I will choose new winners.  Thanks to everyone who entered.  Be sure to keep checking back - Broken Teepee will be celebrating Pet Month in May with lots of great reviews, giveaways and features on products for the animal members of the family.

My Favorite Chicken Recipe

It's a little time consuming but oh, so worth it. It's a Chicken Fricasse and I found it in an Italian cookbook from Marcella Hazan. I have been making it for so many years now I don't even have to refer back to the cookbook any longer.

It starts with garlic. Lots and lots of minced garlic. I use more than the recipe calls for - around 6-8 cloves.
And anchovies - don't let them stop you. They almost stopped me and it would have kept me from one of the best recipes EVER. I use the whole tin.

You have to chop them both together to get almost a paste.

The recipe is best with fresh rosemary but I can't always get it. I am planning an herb garden for one of the big windows in the yurt. Until then I chop up about two tsp of dry.

Then you take your chicken and some seasoned flour.

Dredge the chicken

Add some canola or other flavorless oil to the pan and just get some color on the chicken.

Then wipe the pan clean of the oil and add in about 2 TBS of olive oil. When it gets hot add the anchovy/garlic mixture just 'til you smell the garlic starting to cook. Then add the rosemary. Then you add about 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar.

At this point you put the chicken back in the pan and cover it. You keep the chicken at a low simmer. Every 15 minutes, for an hour, you turn the chicken. If the juices look low you can add some water but I have never had that happen. When it is done it looks like this:

I serve it over rice.
The sauce is like heaven.
Mmmmmmm.

Name Brands vs. Store Brands - Which do YOU Buy?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

 When you go grocery shopping do you automatically reach for the name brand product or do you pick up the store brand? With the downtown in the economy every penny counts and many more consumers are starting to appreciate the value to be found in store brand products. Recession, Recovery & Store Brands
is a survey showing attitudes towards non brand name goods and it shows that consumers are by a wide margin leaning towards store brands.

Some of the more interesting points in the survey are:

- 8 of 10 supermarket shoppers see no improvement in the economy, and 40% say things have actually gotten worse in recent months.
- 62% of consumers plan to buy more Store Brand products as they deal with the tough economy.
- Shoppers who identify themselves as frequent buyers of store brands are at an all-time high (57% of shoppers)
- 43% of shoppers are trying Store Brands for the first time in categories where they used to buy only national brands.
- Virtually all (97%) of shoppers who switched to a Store Brand are happy with their new choice.
*49% say their new Store Brand selections compare “very favorably”
   Up from 35% in June 2009

Now I don't end up doing much shopping with the garden, the goats and the chickens. I bake all of our bread, cookies and cakes. I make much of our pasta. On the rare occasion that I do buy products in the store I will gauge price against brand and experience and make a decision. Oftentimes I have been very pleased with store brand products.

One brand I haven't tried but have heard good things about is Parent's Choice. Probably because I don't have children and don't need kid friendly products. Although I have to admit to a love for baby applesauce. Don't tell anyone, 'k.

Baking for the Firemen

This week I was going to steal use one of my friend Vicki's recipes. She posts some really yummy ones on her blog but I went all rogue and made a coffee cake I found in one of my cooking magazines.

It was a basic coffee cake with a struesel ofwalnuts and mini chocolate chips running through the batter and a chocolate glaze drizzled on top.

Mmmm.

It seemed to be a big hit as there was none left after the meeting.
I again substituted the King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for white flour and no one knew!
Nothing like healthin' up a recipe any way I can.

Earth Day Giveaway: What's It Like Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids by the Way They Live

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Around these parts the Earth is celebrating. Why? Because it rained last night. And boy did we need it! We have had a winter of almost no snow which means no snowpack. Which means the rivers are way below the levels they need to be. 

This year is the 100 year anniversary of the Great Burn of 1910. 3,000,000 million acres of forest were burned in THREE DAYS! It was a horrifying time for the people and right now forest fuel loads are worse than they were then. Many experts are very concerned about this summer's fire season. 

So we were very happy to see the rain last night. Especially the hubby as he is the fire chief for our town. On the other hand the rain came with some wild, wild lightening and of course, thunder. It's early for that kind of storm; they don't usually roll through until late May. We are hoping for a wet summer. Not spring because with a wet spring and dry summer we get a tremendous growth of grasses that then dry in the heat of summer.

But on to happier topics! I have a delightful book to giveaway today.  It's titled, What's It Like Living Green?

Kids Teaching Kids, By The Way They Live. It is written by Jill Ammon Vanderwood. And it is signed!

It is a book written for children with inspiration ideas and real life experiences of children. It's a Best Books Award Winner from USA Book News. How cool is that?

The book is for ages 9 and up and here is some information direct from the back cover:

In What's It Like, Living Green? you'll learn ho other kids live green, along with tips as simple as putting on a sweater rather than turning up the heat.  You'll see how kids like you can make a difference.  Read about a teenage girl who learned to drive with a car fueled by used cooking grease.  Learn about a boy who raised funds to build his first well to provide clean water for a whole village when he was only seven years old.  You will learn simple ways to help the environment, help others and even earn some money.

About the Author:

Jill Ammon Vanderwood is the winner of the Writer of the Year Award for 2008, presented by the League of Utah Writers.  She was noted for her published works, as well as mentoring other writers. and community service to the Literacy Action Center, the Northwest Kiwanis Camp and the Wheelchair Foundation.  

Jill participated in the first Earth Day celebration in Portland, Oregon.  Now living in Utah, she is a mother and grandmother who wants to help the next generation work toward creating a healthier future for our planet.

What's It Like, Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids, By the Way they Live is available at Amazon.com

Woo hoo!

I have two copies of this fantastic book to give away on this Earth Day. 

How do you win? It's easy!

But first a rule:

US only

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Leave a comment with a way you can help the environment. Be sure to leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog publicly. If you already follow, just say so. And thank you.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - @BrokenTeepee and Jill Ammon Vanderwood are giving away What's It Like Living Green?@http://tinyurl.com/2edzet6 #giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee (this is good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)
4. Follow my goat Pricilla's Blog publicly. If you already do, just say so. And thank you. 
5. Enter any of my other current giveaways. Good for one entry per...

6. Put me on your blogroll and leave a link where I can find it. 

7. Add my button to your blog and leave me a link where I can find it.( Good for 5 entries so leave 3 comments)
8. Join my networked blogs - the widget is off to the right.
9. Become my friend on facebook

All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on  May 6th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winners. They will have 48 hours to get back to me or I will choose new winners.


Good luck everyone.


Disclosure:  I was sent two copies of What's it Like, Living Green? that I am giving away to my readers. I received no monetary compensation for this post.