I’ll be honest. I don’t like cold weather much. In fact, when the fall weather started arriving I was down right mad that it was already here. Why? Not because fall is horrible, nope. Because after fall comes winter, which means months of depressing, bare trees and super cold hands.  I just don’t like it. I’ll stay inside cuddling with a book in my fuzzy blanket, thank you.

But, I’ve found something that has lightened my cold-hearted mood and-gasp-made me excited to get out in the chilly weather: This beautiful Windfall Snow Sport Jacket by Lands’ End. I was lucky enough to be able to receive one curtsy of Lands’ End in the gorgeous deep teal.  Really. It’s a beautiful color.  And the inside? Oh my word, it’s brown! Can I tell you how excited the contrast of brown with a color makes me?  Well, a lot.

I was able to try it out in 42 degree weather today and it kept me quite warm.  Granted, it’s still not that cold out right now , but supposedly it keeps you toasty up to -5 degrees with a light layer added!  In fact, it kept more than just my upper body warm, but also my hands. I didn’t have gloves as a hiked my way around campus today and my hands were cold until I placed them in the fleece lined pockets and wa-la! Warm hands!

I love, love this coat (If you can’t tell).  I do have a heavier parka style coat, which also works well, but this one I like because it is less bulky and fits me better. I am very small, so to find a petite xs was wonderful!  I also like all the pockets they have; 3 outer ones, one cell phone and even a pocket for an mp3 player with a place to pull the headphone cord through. I like that the hood easily tucks away or pulls out if I need to. And have I mentioned the color?  Of course, there are several other awesome colors available as well.

Seriously, if you are looking for a new stylish winter coat for you (or Christmas gift?) as the weather cools down, I highly recommend this one. Me and Lands’ End go way back to when I was just a kid myself and I know they make quality products. Who’s ready for some cold weather? I am!

Remember those awesome Christmas cards I was (and still am) excited about sending out this year?  Well, I found the perfect compliment to bring the joy right on to the envelope as well: Picture It Postage!

I’m all about some matching. I’m the kind of girl that needs things to “go” together, other wise it drives me insane.  Now typically, I would not consider my postage as a huge nuisance in my matching world, but being able to make super cute postage to match anything I can dream of? I love it.  I decided to create a stamp using the same design that is on the Christmas card I chose.

The process is extremely easy: Upload the photo you want. Get the photo placed how you want it by centering, zooming in, change the orientation, etc. using their tools. Pick the color of the background and text color (you can even click on the photo itself and it will match the color for you!). And, ta-da! You’re done and all you have to do is order.

I received mine today and I can tell you the quality is excellent, you get exactly what it looks like on your screen when you order.  I love that they are bigger than regular postage so you can really see the design.

A huge thumbs up from me. I’m so excited and ready to send out my Christmas cards…and it’s not even Halloween yet!

Also, Picture It Postage is holding a photo contest starting October 31st looking for the best of the worst family photos. Meaning, all those not-so-great pictures that get taken when trying to get that perfect family picture and something terribly funny and inconvenient happens? A baby spits up, or grandpa starts yelling to at the camera to get it over with. Yea, those. We’ve all got them!
How To Enter:
Beginning October 31, simply visit PictureItPostage.com, click on the “Get Real” contest button and upload the best of your worst photos

How To Vote:
Beginning November 21, all visitors to the “Get Real” contest website will have a chance to vote for their favorite photos.

What’s The Prize:
Winners will be announced December 8.
1)Two Grand Prizewinners will each receive a new Canon Digital SLR Camera and five PictureItPostage coupon codes good for 100 customized photo stamps.
2) Ten First Prizewinners will each receive one PictureItPostage coupon code good for one pack of customized postage stamps.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

I’ve never been a soap bar user, I’m a shower gel kinda girl. Even way back when I was a kid, I was using yummy smelling shower gel. So when I heard about Bethesda‘s Sunscreen Soap, my first thought was, “Nope. It’s a bar soap, I’m not interested.”  But then, I started reading about it.  About how it gently applies sunscreen right in the shower, protecting and lasting all day long. About how it’s all natural, and contains vitamins and healing properties for your skin.

There is no need for greasy sunscreen lotions applied for daily use, and honestly?  Unless it’s summer or you live in a hot tropic climate all year round, who remembers to put on sunscreen every day?  This is the way to go for daily protection, it makes it so easy to protect your skin!  Of course, to go spend hours at the beach or gardening outside you would need a higher spf that is found in lotions, since the soap offers a spf of 10.

When I started reading other people’s testimonies, I really couldn’t wait to try it.  I found that people were using it not just as a body wash, but all over! As shampoo and facewash. I decided to test this myself. I mean, a bar of soap…as shampoo? Really?  Really. I’ve use it several times and it actually helps my hair obey and style better while still keeping it’s shine. It feels a bit different compared to bottled shampoo at first, it feels drier like a soap bar tends to feel, but I just use conditioner like normal and it does a great job!  It seems to combat my ultra greasy hair well, too. I also have been using it as a face wash, and that (along with the oil cleansing method at night) has kept my acne at bay. It just seems logical to use it on my face, when that is the part of my body that sees the most sun right now.

Draw backs: It’s a bar soap. Not my favorite, but it’s worth it.  Also, when I received my package it was a very strong “herbally” smell and I was concerned about smelling like that all the time or that it would be too strong for my sensitive nose.  But, as I have taken it out of the package and used it, the scent has seemed to change to a much more pleasant one.  And, my husband has not complained about it smelling bad as he has done with other natural products I have used.  Lastly, it seems to be a bit drying to my skin, but a little moisturizer takes care of that easily (you need to moisturize anyway!)

Really, there isn’t much that I don’t like about it now that I’ve experienced it. Plus, at $8 it’s not crazy expensive like other products AND one little bar has so many uses! How great would it be to only have to take one bar of soap to travel with and it covers it all?  I know my suitcase (or rather, my husband who carries my suitcase ) will be happy with that. And my skin will, too.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

The Tiny Print is…

Number 9, Doreen from Treasured Giveaways! Please email me with your mailing address.

Thanks to everyone who entered, it was the highest number of entries we’ve had yet!  Welcome to those who found their way here There are sure to be more giveaways coming up!