Found Not Lost

OK, so Sexy Sex and Seasoned Vinegar don’t really have anything to do with each other, but I just entered a giveaway contest for the book and also posted my own giveaway on the food blog. If you’d like to enter either giveaway, here are the links:

The book is called The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex - by Kristin Schall and Rich Bloomquist. This is a humorous manual complete with graphs and illustrations, so the descriptions say. Not that I’m needing a manual in this department, mind you, but I thought it would be a fun enough read. It has gotten some mixed reviews too so I am really curious if it really does live up to the hype.

Now if you’d rather have something that you can actually see, touch and taste, then you’ve got to enter my Nakano Vinegar and $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway. You get a full sized bottle of delicious Nakano Vinegar, a $25 gift certificate that you can spend anywhere on anything you like and a booklet with recipes and a $1 off coupon.

Here’s another giveaway that I just entered because I just had to. Just look at the name of the bag!
The Brielle Braided Bag is being given away at Leslie Loves Veggies. Go check out how cute it is!

Can you believe summer is winding down already? Last weekend we dropped off my oldest daughter to college. Yeah, scary, right? So now that’s done with, it’s time to turn my attention to the two younger ones left at home. They start school again in about three weeks and yeah, it’s their turn for back to school shopping.

One of the rituals I have been doing for the last twelve years, ever since they started school, is to link up my grocery shopper cards with their schools so that the school can earn some money every time I shop. And I do shop a lot, so it’s a good thing that the schools benefit too and not just the stores.

Another initiative that the schools take advantage of is the Bonus Box Tops for Education. My daughters love cutting out the Bonus Box Tops off cereals and other products we have in the house so that they can turn them in at school. The schools then turn in the box tops and earn a certain percentage for their coffers! Not a bad deal, eh? Better than selling wrapping paper and other doodads to raise funds!

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Title: Sins of the Flesh
Author: Caridad Piñeiro
Category: Fiction
Publish Date: 11/1/2009
ISBN: 9780446543835
Pages: 336

About the Book
Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment-a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body-and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.

Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

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I’ve been using the Tropical Traditions Organic Moisturizing Lotion for a couple of weeks now and wow, do I love it! My skin has never felt smoother and more supple. Even with the cold fall weather that usually dries out my skin and makes it itch, the Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotion has kept all the ashiness and itchiness away.

All of the moisturizing lotions that Tropical Traditions offers are made with organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Virgin Palm Oil. Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil, previously reviewed and given away on this blog, is traditionally made from fresh organic coconuts, and independent laboratory tests show that it has a higher level of antioxidants than other coconut oils.

Virgin Palm Oil contains high concentrations of a powerful form of Vitamin E called “tocotrienols” which published research has shown is 40–60 times more potent than alpha-tocopherol (the most common form of Vitamin E found as an additive in most skin care products.) In addition to these powerful Vitamin E tocotrienols, Virgin Palm Oil is also rich in natural carotenes. It is one of the richest natural plant sources of carotenes with concentrations of 500–700 ppm. It is 15 times more retinol-equivalent than carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes, for example.

In addition to using only the best oils available for the skin, all other ingredients used in Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotions are 100% natural. These hand-made lotions contain no alcohols, no artificial fragrances, and no petroleum products. For the varieties that are scented, only high quality organic essential oils imported from France which are distilled with low temperature and low pressure over an extended period of time are used. For a complete description of all ingredients in each product, see the product descriptions on the Tropical Traditions website.

If you’d like to try out this amazing product, enter the giveaway below. Tropical traditions has offered one winner to try out the same moisturizing lotion they sent me.
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Book: Pendragon’s Banner
Author: Helen Hollick
Publication Date: August 2009
Pages: 496
Product ISBN: 9781402218897

Summary

Who was the man
… who became the legend
… we know as
KING ARTHUR?

Pendragon’s Banner is the second book in Helen Hollick’s exciting King Arthur trilogy, covering 459-465 A.D. This is not a fairy tale or fantasy. There is no Merlin, no sword in the stone, and no Lancelot. This is the most accurate Arthurian legend ever written, based on historical evidence and meticulous research.

At age twenty-four, King Arthur has the kingdom he fought so hard for and a new young family. But keeping the throne of Britain—and keeping his wife and three sons safe—proves far from easy. Two enemies in particular threaten everything that is dear to him: Winifred, Arthur’s vindictive first wife, and Morgause, priestess of the Mother and malevolent Queen of the North. Both have royal ambitions of their own.

In this story of harsh battles, secret treasonous plots, and the life-threatening politics of early Britain’s dark ages, author Helen Hollick boldly reintroduces King Arthur as you’ve never seen him before.

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Title: The Sound of Sleigh Bells
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Release Date: October 6, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-307-44653-4 (0-307-44653-0)
Pages: 208
Blog Tour Dates:October 12-16

Summary:
Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

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