Subscribe & receive all blog updates straight to your email!

Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations G-Zell. I just sent you an email. Thank you for all who entered!***

Shabby Apple offers great dresses that allow you to look amazing without the need for tank tops, cardigans or anything else but accessories. Owners Emily and CK ensure that a dress purchased at Shabby Apple is a one-piece outfit, perfectly designed.

They offer dresses from little girls up through womens sizes and they design with every size in mind. From size 0 to plus size, Shabby Apple caters to the shape of every woman. They even have a full maternity line. I know many of you are already familiar with this company, so be sure to check out their website to view all of their latest designs…

Like this fabulous flirty piece which I adore! How beautiful is this dress ladies?

So here’s the deal. Shabby Apple is giving the chance for one lucky Theta Mom reader to win this gorgeous dress (retail value of $64) which you can also find here:

Not only does this dress happen to fit generously (we love that), but it was designed to flatter the figure. Notice the ruching at the sides around the hips. As Theta Moms, who doesn’t need a little help there, right? And the tie at the neck gives it such a polished look.

It’s elegant, stylish, and classic. And here’s your chance to grab it…

How to Enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway:

Required Entry: I made this SUPER easy for you ladies. Ready? Just follow my blog publicly and tell me you are. Easy Peasy!

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)
2. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)
3. Subscribe to my Blog. (1 entry)
4. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (1 entry)
5. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
Enter to win The Shabby Apple #giveaway valued at $64 @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/yhmh46y Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)
6. Fave my blog to Technorati (1 entry)
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)
8. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on October 30, 2009 and will end at 10 PM on November 12, 2009. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen.

Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

Before I get to my time out, I have to share my frustration lately over Google/Blogger with all of you:

If you thought I was a little MIA this week, it’s not because I wasn’t reading your blogs, it’s because if your blog is set-up to accept comments from Google account holders only, I am having a difficult time signing in to leave a comment! It’s hit or miss, sometimes I can’t get in at all and other times it takes 5 years for the comment page to load and 5 years to sign out. It’s a real problem. And honestly, I don’t have 5 years to wait.

My Google Reader is completely messed up and I have no idea why. I’m not getting all of the feeds and over half of the blogs I follow are floating somewhere I cyberspace. Every blog that I know for a fact that I am following, on your website my little cute profile face is either a blank square, a mysterious blue profile, or I am not there at all. It’s as if I don’t exist!

I have been on all of the Blogger help forums and I am not alone. There is a very small percentage of bloggers affected by this and I just happen to be one of the lucky ones. The problem is, the Blogger administrators aren’t doing a damn thing about it to assist us. In a nutshell, Blogger sucks for me right now and I’m not a happy camper.

Between spending countless hours this past week, trying to find out why I have this blank profile, why my reader isn’t updating the feeds, why I am having trouble signing in to leave a damn comment, I am HIGHLY considering a move to WordPress. I hear life on that side of the blogosphere is pretty sweet.

So if you are following me and I am not following you, it’s not because I don’t like you, it’s because Blogger won’t allow me to sign in and follow you, because right now, Blogger sucks. If you comment on my blog and I haven’t commented back, I am not ignoring you, it’s because I can’t leave a freakin comment on your blog, because right now, Blogger sucks.

If you are a fellow tweep of mine, you’ve heard my rant all over twitterville the last few days. So as you may have guessed, among my crazy Blogger frustration and confusion, I spent countless hours (used as my time out) to vent on Twitter and it was just what I needed!

Why do I love Twitter?
1. You can get an answer to any question within minutes from a fellow tweep.
2. Once you sign in, you’re in. No drama about logging back in and out to do just that…tweet!
3. You’re never alone. I don’t care what time it is, if you’re bored and want to converse, get up on there and you’ll find somebody to chat with.
4. Instead of waiting for an email, a tweet is instantaneous.
5. It’s real time. It’s exciting. It’s addictive. Need I say more?

If you haven’t created a FREE account yet, you have no idea what you are missing. Now that I am hooked, I can’t remember life before Twitter. So follow me on twitter…I can actually FOLLOW BACK on Twitter! Click here to follow me on Twitter.

So although Blogger sucks for me right now, I got to share my anguish and tweet with some of my peeps about it. To me, this was the kind of time out that I needed to keep my sanity!

And if you ARE a WordPress user, I would love to hear your experience. Please email me or leave it in the comments. I would totally appreciate any advice!

By the way, don’t forget the 27 piece mini-makeup collection giveaway from e.l.f. ends tonight at 11 pm so get those last entries in!

And if you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, how did you spend your one hour? Link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

For This Rockefeller Center, I Heart You

It’s already that time of year that seems as though the holidays are right around the corner. Catalogs are being sent to my home filled with holiday cheer and it is just a matter of weeks before we experience the real rush of the season. I’ve already seen the first commercial for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular…

For those of you who haven’t ever been, Rockefeller Center encompasses a total of 19 buildings between 48th and 51st Streets from Fifth to Sixth Avenue in New York City. Radio City Music Hall is at the heart of Rockefeller Center, and although it’s a major New York landmark, this isn’t the real reason that Rockefeller Center has created such meaning to my life.

What feels like many years ago, I auditioned to be a Radio City Rockette. I actually mustered up the courage to chase after a dream. I arrived with a leotard and a smile, following a childhood dream that I’ve wanted for most of my life. I remember standing on the streets of NYC right outside of the Music Hall, competing among more than a thousand of some of the most beautiful and talented women in the world. We were all vying for the title of a “Rockette,” each one of us with the same dream. I danced at that audition harder than I ever danced in my life. After years and years of training, I gave it my absolute best shot. Although I never graced The Radio City stage, I now have quite a story to share with my daughter someday. If I never went on that audition, I would have wondered, “what if” for the rest of my life. It is truly one of my proudest moments and one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
Not everybody can say that they chased a dream. But I can.
I also love Rockefeller Center because my husband proposed to me in the middle of the ice-skating rink in front of hundreds of people which is the heart of Rockefeller Center! We felt like celebrities that day, especially since we received tons of attention from the skaters and hundreds of on-lookers. I never had that many strangers congratulate me in my life.

Just another reason why Rockefeller Center is so special to me.

For this Rockefeller Center, and so much more, I heart you.

Pearl Paradise Review and AMAZING Giveaway!

***THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to Amy Dee! I sent you an email. Thank you for all who entered the contest!***

This is a big one ladies. Are you ready?

Pearl Paradise is the world’s largest online Pearl Company selling the world’s finest pearls. I was lucky enough to review the cultured freshwater lavender pearl earrings with 14kt White Gold posts. They are 8.0-9.0 mm with a retail value of $180.00. Pearl Paradise certifies each purchase with an appraisal, giving the consumer complete satisfaction that what they are buying is real.

One of the great things about Pearl Paradise is that this company makes the beauty of pearls available to everyone. USA Today adds, “Pearl Paradise sells high quality pearls at lower prices from college students to invest bankers.” It makes purchasing pearls very affordable! This company meets all of the BBB online requirements, includes Free Ground shipping on any purchase and even has a 90 day money back guarantee!

It is so fun to shop at Pearl Paradise online as well. To find what you are looking for you can shop by style, type, color or price. It’s that easy! They even have a link for education, where the average consumer can learn more about pearl types, grading, history and care.

Since I didn’t know much about my gorgeous freshwater pearls, I did a little homework using their website. Taken directly from Pearl Paradise, “Freshwater pearls are best known for their whimsical shapes and wide variety of sizes and colors. The character of a freshwater pearl is found in its distinctive surface texture and the warmth of its luster. The nacre of a high-quality freshwater pearl does not typically have the glossy, metallic finish found in akoya pearls, and they are evaluated on separate quality scales. The trademark line of freshwater pearl jewelry is guaranteed to be the best in the world at Pearl Paradise.” To view the entire selection of Freshwater Pearls, go here.

This is a photo of my stunning freshwater lavender pearl earrings, valued at $180.00.

Here is the actual appraisal, literature and Pearl Care Kit, including two Pearl Sachets and a luxury Microfiber Pearl Cloth. They also included a DVD of a documentary about pearls featuring scenes from a working pearl farm.

I don’t think I have to tell you how excited I am when I wear these earrings! It’s like sporting true luxury around my ears. These pearls give off that feminine shimmer and shine, which will certainly compliment any outfit. They are sturdy, perfectly shaped and simply gorgeous. And here’s the best part…

Pearl Paradise is offering one of my lucky readers the chance to win the same cultured freshwater lavender pearl earrings valued at $180.00! Unbelievable!!!

How to Enter the Pearl Paradise Giveaway:

Required Entry: Visit Pearl Paradise and check out their website. Come back and tell me about something you love, other than the earrings up for grabs on my blog. Be sure you include your email in the required entry if it is not found in your profile.

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count)

1. Follow my blog publicly and tell me you do. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)
3. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)
4. Subscribe to my blog via email. (1 entry)
5. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right sidebar (Top Mommy Blogs) and tell me you clicked! Easy Peasy! (1 entry)
6. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
Enter to win a pair of Pearl Earrings #giveaway valued at $180 from Pearl Paradise @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/yhf8t6c Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)
7. Fave my blog to Technorati (1 entry)
8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada. It begins on October 23, 2009 and will end at 11 PM on November 5, 2009. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen.

Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

I am so excited to say that I actually had 3 hours of time out this week! That is a total record for me Theta Moms! Especially since it’s been hard for me lately to squeeze in that one hour, I guess I was able to make up for some lost time.

Although I don’t post a whole lot of pictures of myself, I can tell you that my hair is quite blonde and every time the cooler weather hits, I always go through this cycle of “I need a change.” I sound like such a girl here, but it’s true. I always want to be the slammin blonde bombshell in the summer with crazy light locks, but as soon as autumn arrives I want to take it down a few notches. I find myself doing this every year. Every single year. Seriously.

I spent my time out in the salon this week getting my normal highlights, but I also had my stylist add in some lowlights to my hair. It is just enough of a darker color to offset the crazy blondeness. After sitting with the foils, my stylist also toned my down my entire hair color slightly so it looks more natural. She used this awesome glaze stuff that also gave my hair a sleek shine! I am still a blonde of course, just not so blondie I guess.

I absolutely always look forward to taking a trip to the hair salon. There is something so relaxing about having your hair done, isn’t it? It’s a total non-mommy-all-girl-time for me and I love every second of it! I enjoy reading magazines while sipping a hot cup of coffee, relaxing under those lights as my full head of foil does its thing. It’s fun to socialize with the other women and chat with my stylist. And I always manage pick up a new trend when I’m there, including a couple of products. Going to the salon gives me that beauty boost that I need and it’s a time out that is always well worth it!

How did you spend your one hour? If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

And get those last entries in for the big $150 Gift Card to Campus Quilt Company giveaway which ends tonight! Enter HERE