My Memories Suite Giveaway

I was given the chance to try out the My Memories digital scrap booking suite this week and the company has asked me to pass the software on to one lucky reader!

To enter the contest, please visit the website www.MyMemories.com and leave me a comment with what you would create with the My Memories software. 

Winner will be posted on Friday, September 9th. Good luck and happy scrapping!! 

*** My Memories is also offering my blog readers $10 off of the software! Use the following code to receive your discount at checkout: STMMMS46220.***

The My Memories program is so easy to navigate and I was able to begin creating a page within minutes of competing the download. I primarily make photobooks now, but have always been disappointed in the fact that you usually can't add embellishments with many online photobook programs. The My Memories Suite had preset "photobook" type pages that I could then personalize with embellishments as well. So simple and quick! The pages can be saved in several formats so that you have many options for printing--a huge plus for me as I don't like to be stuck with only one choice! One downfall for me was that the the printed books that you can purchase through the My Memories website are only in square sizes. This small problem does not overcast my excitement for this wonderful product though--definitely something every digital scrapbooker should add to their tools!

Visit the My Memories team on their:
Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/mymemoriessuite
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

 

Future Shop: Tales of Tech Love

I remember the excitment of my first big electronic purchase very well! I was in grade 8 or 9 and had saved up money for a long time from my first job. I was shopping for a large 5/6-disc stereo system and looked around every where to check prices, options, and features. This was going to be a big purchase! At that time these systems were 300-600 dollars and I wanted the best one! I remember getting my dad to help me find exactly what I was looking for. When I found this one....

...it was true love! I think I spent $650 of my hard earned part time job cash on this beauty! I had so much fun figuring everything out and enjoying the power of having such a sweet stereo system. I was in control of what I listened to, how loud it was.....everything! It definitely was my first case of electronic love!

Book Review: The Elemental Journal

The Elemental Journal: Create Expressive Books from Salvaged Treasures

Book Description:  "Rusty doorknobs, cardboard containers and plastic packaging may seem like trash to some, but through the creative mind, they are transformed into beautiful expressions - equally parts artful book and assemblage. The Elemental Journal will show you how to craft a wide variety of journals to hold your secrets or express your inner thoughts, and discover new ways to use wood, paper, fabric, plastic and metal in your art.”

This was quite a pretty book to look at but the whole time, all I could think was, “What would you do with these things?” The journals are made with all sorts of odd items and are strange shapes and sizes. Are they meant to be put on a shelf, given as a gift, or used? I couldn’t tell! I thought that I may get a few craft ideas from this book, but it all was just quite odd. Also, the instructions for each journal made were so specific, but the items that were being used were often things that were found at a thrift store or auction. You would not be able to make the exact project without getting the items that she used (which is impossible!). Overall, a pretty book to look at, but not one I would want to own or give as a gift.

**I was given this book for free in exchange for my honest review from the website BookSneeze.com.**

Review: McCain Purely Potatoes

McCain Purely Potatoes

Disclaimer: I was given a free coupon from BzzAgent to test this new product in exchange for an honest review.

When I opened the bag of frozen potatoes, I noticed right away that one of the potatoe chunks was rotten and black. This definitely was not a good way to start the meal! I cooked to potatoes and my husband and I both tried a chunk of potatoe before adding any condiments or mashing them. They were not tasty that way at ALL! After mashing the potatoes and adding butter and milk, they were fixed and tasted great! Overall, a quick way to make mashed potatoes and a nice product. I would buy them again for the convenience, but I would not want to pay full price (sale or coupon please!).

Review: Eat Your Peas for Mom

"A delightful book to give Mom to prove you DID listen to her advice, wit, and wisdom. If you want a special way to celebrate your mother, look no more! Eat Your Peas® Mom is a 3-minute read with a forever message. Upon opening this little package, her heart will smile through the pages filled with affirmation, appreciation, and gratitude expressed for all the ways she loves and cares for you. Each page is artfully hand-illustrated for a charming and homespun feel. It’s a perfect keepsake and reminder for Mom to hold onto forever."

I thought this book would be a bit different from all the other mother "gift" books. I've given books like this as gifts before, and this one wasn't anything special. Each page was quite pretty, but many of the sayings were very very similar. Also, with the phrase "3-minute read" I thought that it would flow better when reading it all at once. A few of the sayings did resonate with me and made me feel like the book was great, but then the next page would be something so similar, or something that didn’t really pertain to me/my mother. Overall, a cute book, but not something that I would purchase myself.

**I was given this book free from the website Book Sneeze in exchange for this honest review. **

REVIEW: This Is Your Brain in Love

"In his new book,This is Your Brain in Love, Dr. Earl Henslin takes a close look at the biological factors that deeply affect our intimate relationships. Sharing many first hand examples from his counselling practice, Dr. Henslin attributes many of the problems encountered by couples on brain dysfunctions. He outlines five different types of lovers, and describes in detail some characteristics that identify each. At the beginning of each of the five chapters, there is a checklist provided in order to determine how you connect to your spouse. At the end of each chapter, Dr. Henslin gives some tips to improve the drawbacks of each type of brain. He also offers suggestions for the spouse in relating to each brain type."

You need a quite chunk of time to read this book! Dr. Henslin is a clear, crisp author, but there was so much information that I almost felt overloaded. He goes through different types of brain functions/disfunctions to explain and try to remedy any relationship problems.  I found that he seemed to focus a lot of ADD and ADHD and I got a bit sick of reading about it! He also really encouraged getting a brain scan to see where there are problem areas. This is not something that is cheap and easy to do. I can't decide if I recommend this book or not, and that's definitely NOT a good thing when you're trying to write a review!

This book was provided to me for free by BookSneeze in exchange for this review.

Clairol Nice N Easy Foam REVIEW

I was given the opportunity to test out Clairol's new Foam hair dye a couple weeks ago. It was very exciting to receive my package in the mail, but I have to say the product was a bit disappointing.

Clairol's big selling point of the foam dye is that it doesn't drip and is "no-mess." I would agree with this, but the foam applicator was so hard for me to use that I would rather risk the drips! When I first saw the product I thought it would be a pump top applicator. Instead, you mix the two dye portions in the applicator, shake it and squeeze to dispense. This was not as easy as it sounds! I don't want a work out while colouring my hair. :)

The colour that I was sent was called "Dark Reddish Brown," so I expected a very dark colour. Second disappointment! There were not many red tones in the colour and it wasn't much darker than my normal hair colour.

I would not pick this colour over normal liquid dyes in the future.