GE Caulk Singles

You know those ads that run along the side of my blog? Truth be told, I don't generally pay too much attention to them. I hadn't really checked out the one for GE caulk until a friend brought it to my attention.

We have a leaky shower. It's been that way forever. It's been on my husband's "to do" list for like 40 years. I finally came to the realization that although I wanted the shower taken care of, this was not a high priority on my husband's list. I was so angry that he wasn't fixing it that I decided to just do it myself. I'm not a big DIY (do it yourselfer), but I was determined to show my husband that I could caulk the leaking shower myself. Brilliant plan, no?

So, I went to the store, bought a thing of caulk, got home, and realized I had no way to get the caulk out of the can. Apparently you need a caulk gun. Who knew? Bob the Builder I'm not. I mentioned to my husband that I'd bought some caulk and all he had to do was grab his caulk gun and seal the shower. That darn container of caulk sat there there for 10 years. Or something like that.

So, after my friend brought the GE caulk ad to my attention, I checked it out. Guess what - GE is giving away FREE samplesof their new caulk singles. These things look really cool! You don't need a caulk gun to dispense it. Simply tear open the package and squeeze it out. According to their ads, you should be able to effortlessly apply an even bead of caulk. I filled out the form to receive my free sample.

OK, so here's the shower, complete with mold damage, that was never caulked and is now out of my realm of fixability. It's my husband's job now for sure.


Here's the before picture of the sink that I caulked...


The reason there was a gaping space between the sink and the wall was because the kids have done a little too much of this....


I got my GE caulk single in the mail.....


I tore off the top and just squeezed out a thin, ...


almost even bead of caulk.


Then I simply smoothed it out with my expensive caulk smoothing tools finger.


Pretty cool, no? But that's not all. Oh nooo. Tell us how you used your FREE caulk single to do a DIY job around your home and you'll be entered for a chance to win $1000 VISA GIFT CARD! Think of all the sprucing up you could do with $1000!

So, just click HERE to get your free GE caulk single sample.

And the Winner Is...

The winner of the free HP printing mailbox and 3 free months of Presto service is......


Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

54
Timestamp: 2008-06-12 15:33:48 UTC

The 54th comment was from ga.farmgirl who said...

My Mother is 84 and I think the HP printing mailbox would be a great idea for her. She lives far away from some of her 7 children and many Grandkids,great grands and even 1 great great grandchild. I can imagine her face lighting up to receive photos through the presto service hp printing mailbox.
June 7, 2008 3:41 PM

Congratulations to ga.farmgirl!!!

Presto!

I was asked to try out the Presto service with the HP printing mailbox. Now, this is not something I would ever use, BUT it is absolutely something my grandma or aunt would use, so I agreed. Let me explain what this is. Presto is a service that works with the HP printing mailbox. It enables the user to receive email (text and images) without a computer. It just uses your phone line to dial out in order to receive emails. Presto explains it better than I can HERE.

I don't know about you, but my aunt and my grandma aren't exactly tech savvy. They don't have a computer, don't have a need for one, and don't have a desire to learn how to use one. But they do like keeping in touch with friends and family. And I have to admit that I'm not so great at the lost art of correspondence. I can't remember the last time I actually wrote a letter. I'm much more likely to keep in touch with relatives and friends via email. This enables people like me to keep in touch with people like them.

When I got my HP printing mailbox, I took it to my aunt's house so she could try it out. It's basically a printer that connects to your phone line. It only took a couple minutes to set it up - plug it in, plop the ink cartridge in, put some paper in, voila!

Next I set up an account for her online (on my computer). Never fear - if a person without a computer buys this to receive email, they can still set up an account over the phone. I just figured it would be easiest for me to do it online. It only took a few minutes and I was able to set up her email address, choose the font size of my aunt's emails, and the time(s) the machine would dial out to retrieve emails. You can have the machine dial out at midnight every night for email messages, for example, or you could set it to dial out a few times a day, or whatever's convenient for you.

As the account manager, I can change the settings any time, I get alerts if the ink is running low, and I can add email addresses to her address book. (That's a cool feature too. She can only receive email from addresses that are on her Friends List to prevent spam and junk mail.)

I really do think this is a cool service for mom and dad or grandma and grandpa, especially if they live out of town. You can send them pictures from Johnny's baseball game, Sarah's ballet recital, or your new bundle of joy. You can send email updates, invitations to parties and get-togethers, or just a note to say you're thinking about them. Everyone loves to get mail, right? Instead of getting grandma a computer and paying for internet service that she wouldn't really use, this is a less expensive alternative that will still enable her to receive email and pictures from you and other friends and relatives. The HP printing mailbox is on sale now for $99.99 and the service is just $9.99 a month. Go HERE and click "view demo" to see a video about this service.

The only drawback that I could find is that the Presto user can't send email out. They can receive letters and beautiful, color photos, but they can't respond via email. Of course, if you've gotten the HP printing mailbox and Presto service for grandma and grandpa who have never used a computer, chances are they wouldn't be interested in replying via email anyway. They're more likely to pick up the phone to thank you for sending them a letter and pictures of their little grandchildren (great grandbabies).

What an awesome idea for Father's Day for dad or grandpa - a way for him to get mail and photos without a computer! And right now, in time for Father's Day, you can get $50 OFF the price of the HP printing mailbox!!! Just go HERE for the discount! And because my readers are so awesome, Presto is offering one lucky winner a FREE unit and 3 FREE months of Presto service! Just leave me a comment here and I'll choose a random winner on June 10th.

* Yes, I know that many senior citizens own computers and are tech savvy. I'm not saying that grandparents aren't capable of working a computer. This is a great product/service for individuals who don't own a computer because they don't want one, can't afford one, or are afraid of them and don't want to learn how to use one.

My New Favorite Toy

When I was invited to try out the HP Photo Center at Meijer, I jumped at the chance. I have about 1000 pictures on my computer that I need to make into prints. I have several times that many that have been made into prints and are just sitting in boxes waiting for that magical day when all my kids are in school and I have time to tackle projects like getting pictures into albums. What? It could happen!


See what I mean?

giant bucket full of prints


another bucket of prints


and yet another big ole tub of even more prints
I take a lot of pictures. It's a sickness. It's fun!

Anyway, thinking that I could organize some of the photos on my computer, I jumped at the chance to try out the HP Photo Center. I love this thing! Here's the deal: you take your digital images to your nearest HP Photo Center. (Click HERE to find the closest one.) You can bring your images on a USB drive, most memory cards, or a CD. All you do is pop it in the computer and follow the directions on the touch screen. You can make posters (think of those large frames that have mats with multiple openings for a collage of pictures), hard cover photo albums, DVDs, calendars, cards, and more! Father's Day gifts!!!!!!!

When I went to try it out, I made an album with over 70 pictures. I got to choose the size of the album, the color of the cover, the theme, color and design of the pages, and how many pictures I wanted on each page. I was able to crop, fix red eyes, and adjust my pictures too. I chose what order I wanted the pictures to appear in and then this magic machine did all the work for me! It arranged all the photos in the order I had selected! I previewed each page to make sure I liked the layout and then clicked ok. Voila! My photo album was printed while I shopped and I picked it up about an hour later.


(Sorry, this is a picture of my album so it didn't turn out that great - the picture, not the album, that is.)

I asked the guys who worked there if more pages could be added to the book in the future because I'm not all that organized and will undoubtedly find more photos that I'll want to add. They said it was no problem to add more pages. How cool! You could print up a month's worth of pictures at a time and each month, add a few more pages to the album. At the end of the year, you'd have a great album with that year's highlights captured in photo memories! Each month could have a theme: Easter, Halloween, vacation, Christmas, etc.

Then, because the album cost less than I thought it would, I made a DVD with those same pictures. Let me tell ya - it took a mere fraction of the time to make that DVD than any slide show or video I've made on my computer at home! This is SO easy! Now, when I was at the store playing with working on my pictures, a woman sat down at the computer next to me and was having a hard time figuring everything out. But the guys in the photo center at Meijer were nice and knowlegeable and quickly helped her out. I'm going back to make a DVD of our Discovery Cove trip so the kids can watch it again and again.

If you don't have an HP Photo Center at a store near you, you may be able to use Snapfish to order your prints or some creations online and then pick them up at a store.

I am SO going back to make albums from the rest of the photos on my computer. It's much easier to throw my pictures on a flash drive, take them to the store, and leave with a completed album in an hour than to have them made into prints so they can take up space and gather dust in my home for weeks months decades.


Check out THIS LINK for answers to your FAQs, THIS LINK for a demonstration video, and THIS LINK for a coupon for a FREE poster when you buy one.

Coming up soon: another review of an HP product that makes an awesome gift for parents and grandparents!

Caulk Singles

Just a quick note to clear up any confusion. To receive a free sample of the caulk singles, just click HERE. To enter the contest, goHERE! Leaving a comment on my blog will not enter you in the contest. Thanks! :)

GE Caulk Singles

You know those ads that run along the side of my blog Because I Said So? Truth be told, I don't generally pay too much attention to them. I hadn't really checked out the one for GE caulk until a friend brought it to my attention.

We have a leaky shower. It's been that way forever. It's been on my husband's "to do" list for like 40 years. I finally came to the realization that although I wanted the shower taken care of, this was not a high priority on my husband's list. I was so angry that he wasn't fixing it that I decided to just do it myself. I'm not a big DIY (do it yourselfer), but I was determined to show my husband that I could caulk the leaking shower myself. Brilliant plan, no?

So, I went to the store, bought a thing of caulk, got home, and realized I had no way to get the caulk out of the can. Apparently you need a caulk gun. Who knew? Bob the Builder I'm not. I mentioned to my husband that I'd bought some caulk and all he had to do was grab his caulk gun and seal the shower. That darn container of caulk sat there there for 10 years. Or something like that.

So, after my friend brought the GE caulk ad to my attention, I checked it out. Guess what - GE is giving away FREE samplesof their new caulk singles. These things look really cool! You don't need a caulk gun to dispense it. Simply tear open the package and squeeze it out. According to their ads, you should be able to effortlessly apply an even bead of caulk. I filled out the form to receive my free sample. I can't wait to get it. That's pretty cool, right? Easy peasy caulk singles that you can use to spruce up your home. But that's not all. Oh nooo. Tell us how you used your FREE caulk single to do a DIY job around your home and you'll be entered for a chance to win $1000 VISA GIFT CARD! Think of all the sprucing up you could do with $1000!


This is my shower, complete with mold damage now. Ugh. This is definitely my husband's job now. This is what happens when it isn't caulked well.


This is MY project. I'll be caulking my sink when I get my free sample.


Even I can caulk this with the new GE single. At least I think I can. I'm pretty sure I can. I'll keep you updated.

So, just click HERE to get your free GE caulk single sample.

And the Winner is...

Here are your random numbers:774
Timestamp: 2008-05-08 03:01:24 UTC

Congratulations to Linda who left the 774th comment...

"As a single mom, and also a pear shaped body, I havent had a new swimsuit in almost 7 years. I have finally reited to just shorts and a tanktop. A gift certificate would be so neat to spend on myself. Thanks Dawn, and I still hope that happen to bring your book tour into Portland Oregon or nearby. Thanks Linda"

You have won a $100 gift card from Lands' End! Enjoy!
Email me at mom2my6pack@aol.com with your information.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment!

Another Note on Lands' End Swimwear

So you know, I'm using this to select a random winner. If I had to choose a winner based just on your comments, there is no way I'd be able to choose just one! If I could, I'd give you all free swimsuits!

Some of your comments brought to my attention a couple points I failed to mention in my earlier post. Lands' End does offer more modest suits for your teenage daughters. I'm always amazed at some of the really skimpy suits that are out there today. Lands' End ones are much more classy, in my opinion.

And although, in the past, I've gotten swimsuits at Walmart or Target, I don't think I ever will again. True, they are less money. But for a reason. They're very thin and not as well made as the Lands' End one I got. It's no wonder I have to replace them so frequently. I'm pretty sure this Lands' End will last several years! (Or until I finally lose 50 pounds.) Hey, I can dream!

$100 From Lands' End!

It's that time of year. Time to go shopping for a new bathing suit. Is there anything quite so depressing as trying on swimsuits in front of those huge dressing room mirrors under that flattering florescent light? When I'm in a dressing room trying on swimsuits, I'm just sure that some kid is going to crawl under the door, see me half naked and be traumatized for life. Or worse, I have an irrational fear of the fire alarm going off in the store and being forced to emerge from the dressing room and out onto the street in an ill fitting bathing suit. I can't think of a more embarrassing situation.

Of course you have to try on swimsuits with your underwear which is just lovely if you wear big granny pants and have to tuck your underwear up into the legs of your suit to see how it will really look on you. And it's nearly impossible for poor pear shaped people like me to find a swimsuit that fits on both the top and bottom.

So, when Lands' End asked me if they could send me a swimsuit to try on in the comfort of my own home, I was interested. I was interested, but I still rather doubted they had any suits that would fit me and look less hideous than a hippo in a tutu nice. I took a look at the Lands' End website. I'd never shopped from Lands' End before and was very pleasantly surprised by their huge selection of swim wear. Not only do they have many items from which to choose, but they have so many attractive styles and a huge size range. Because I can't manage to stick to Weight Watchers for more than a week at a time, I still have to buy plus sizes and let me tell you, finding a flattering suit in a larger size is no easy feat. Lands' End has pages and pages of possibilities, however.

Of course, they also have normal sizes too. They've got everything: Slender Suits designed to flatter a variety of body shapes and make you appear slimmer, Mix and Match Separates (perfect for pear shaped people!), one pieces, tankinis, swim shorts, swim skirts, mastectomy suits, cover-ups, bikinis, custom suits, and more! They seriously have something for everyone.

That's my top up there! It fits because I was able to order a size smaller on the top than on the bottom. It has underwire too, so I won't have to tuck my boobs into my shorts.

OK, now here's the awesome part! You, my wonderful readers, can win a $100 gift card to use on Lands' End swim wear! That's right - A HUNDRED DOLLARS! You can go to your local Lands' End store or use it online. (I recommend using it online and trying your new bathing suit on in the comfort of your own home.) How awesome is that?

Just leave me a comment and I'll choose a winner on Wednesday, May 7th at 10:00 PM central time. In the meantime, check out Lands' End's website and pick out your favorite suit! Happy shopping!

Johnson & Johnson's History

I got my goodies last week! Don't you just love getting fun stuff in the mail? These are the samples that Johnson & Johnson provided me. Did you know that they make a clear Desitin? I didn't. I almost want Brooklyn to get diaper rash so I can try it out. Desitin is the BEST diaper cream out there, in my opinion. I didn't like the Desitin Creamy because it wiped off too easily and what's the point? If it isn't going to stay on baby's butt, it can't protect it, so what good is it, right? We'll see how the clear works.

I also want to try out the KY warming massage oil. Think I can convince Joe to give me a back rub?

And look! I even went home with a Nintendo DS and a new game! My kids no longer think it's so bad that I skipped town for a couple days.


While we were at The Frog and the Peach (yummiest food EVER!) we got to try out the new Wii games. It's only a matter of days until the kids start begging for the new Wii Fit. Check this out...

To start, you stand on this little balance board and calculate your BMI. Then you can do a little balance test which will calculate your Wii Fit Age (shockingly, mine is 492). Then it's on to the fun balance games, strength training, aerobics, and yoga. For those of us who have a hard time making it to the gym, this could be a quick, fun way to get a little exercise in your day while the kids are at school or napping.

Check out this ad. "So fun and so easy, even grandma will love it"! Ok, the words are mine, but I thought the picture was hilarious.

The day we left New Jersey, we took a little field trip to the Johnson & Johnson campus in New Brunswick. I really LOVED this part of the trip because we learned how Johnson & Johnson first got started. I mean, I knew that Johnson & Johnson had been around forever and that they made many of the products that I use on a daily basis, but I'd never really thought about how they'd gotten started before. Johnson & Johnson is one of those timeless companies. They've been around for ages and they'll continue to be around for years to come. I believe they care about their consumers and strive to find ways to fill customer's needs. That's why they invited 50ish bloggers to this Camp Baby event.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this part of the trip because I met Margaret Gurowitz who writes the Kilmer House Blog. This is such an interesting blog. Especially if you're a history buff (I don't mean memorizing dates of wars kind of history, but the kind of history that talks about people and popular culture and how things were started and how things were made), you should check it out! Margaret has some great pictures and illustrations of old fashioned products that are interesting to read about. J & J is clearly proud of their past (as they should be, in my opinion.)

Spring Giveaway

Like FREE stuff? Check out this giveaway at My Mommys Bracelets! Vanessa has teamed up with other mommy and baby boutiques for a HUGE spring giveaway!
You could win a bracelet, lip balm, a tutu, sunglasses, bow holders, gift certificates for web designs and blankets, flip flops, hats, and much, much more! I have one of Vanessa's bracelets (or actually, Lexi has a bracelet) and I love it. It's well made and really pretty.
Check out her site, do a little shopping, and sign up for the giveaway! :)

Sleep on It

“Sleep is like the unicorn - it is rumored to exist, but I doubt I will see any”

“Sometimes I stay up so late that I have my morning coffee before I go to bed.”


Johnson & Johnson reached out to 56 mommy bloggers and paid for us to come out to their headquarters in New Brunswick where we spent three days being wined and dined. The second day there, we sat through some fun and informative classes. We met Dr. Jodi Mindell, sleep expert and author of Sleep Deprived No More who talked to us about the importance of having calm bedtime routines and making sure your kiddos get enough sleep. Apparently it's important for us moms to get enough sleep too. Yeah, I'll work on that. Did you know that people who don't get enough sleep are not only less productive and able to remember information, but they also have an increased risk of car accidents? Studies have shown that people who don't get enough sleep also have a greater likelihood of obesity, diabetes, depression, and substance abuse.

She opened the floor for questions and several bloggers raised their hands and presented her with their queries. I, on the other hand, hid behind my computer like I was in high school and hadn't read my assignment, and hoped she wouldn't call on me. After the session, I cornered her at the back of the room and asked her my embarassing thought-provoking question. "I have 6 kids, so I really should know what I'm doing, but here's the deal. My 2 year old sleeps with me and my husband. I know, I know. It wasn't such a big deal when she was a newborn, but I would give my right arm to get a full night's sleep without a pair of toddler feet up my nose. Anyway, what can I do now that the most stubborn 2 year old on the planet has us trained?" She looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "What were you thinking? You're on your own!" Ok, so that's not really what she said. She told me to move Brooklyn's bed up against mine and to give her something to sleep with like a teddy bear or something. She told me to sleep with my arm on her for a few nights. Then move my arm away, but still sleep with her bed next to mine. After a few more nights, move her bed farther away. Keep doing this until she's sleeping on her own.

It's sounds good in theory, right? I think I'll set a date and give it a try. It's bad enough listening to Joe snore all night, but getting kicked in the face by Brooklyn is getting really old.

More about this fun and informative trip tomorrow...

Bloggers and Wine, Oh My!

Continued from Because I Said So...
After I arrived in New Jersey, Johnson & Johnson had a person waiting for me at the airport and a driver took me and two other bloggers to our hotel, which is really nice, btw. I don't think our driver had a license and I'm pretty sure he'd never driven that car before. And I'm positive that he didn't know where he was going because he was holding a Google map in one hand and driving with the other. The other blogger in the backseat, Amy, and I held onto the arm rests for dear life. Not to mention the fact that we passed a mini van with two bullet holes in the door. I kid you not.

Anyway, we got here in one piece. The weather is beautiful. I've had the chance to meet many other mommy bloggers which has been a hoot! What a cool, fun group of ladies!
And when I got to my room, there was a goody bag filled with Neutrogena products! How nice! I'm currently trying out this foaming sunless tanner. On the suggestion of a fellow blogger, I'm doing an experiment to see how well it works. I applied it only to my left arm. It's like a light mousse and it goes on really easily and evenly. I've always had issues with sunless tanners because they all, no matter what brand, have that "sunless tanner" chemical smell to them. On the other hand, I love the golden glow of tanned skin and don't really want to risk skin cancer to get it. Anyway, I'm giving it a try. I'll see if I look orange and streaky tomorrow.


Not a good look for Dawn.

And the highlight of the day was a wine tasting class with Ted Allen from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Iron Chef America and Top Chef! This guy was incredibly entertaining! Or maybe it was just the wine... Nah, he was funny, intelligent, and all around fun. I learned a little about wine. Like getting the kids to bed is so much easier after you've had a glass or two. And a nice Merlot goes very well with macaroni and cheese (thanks Jenifer for that suggestion!) I also learned that during a wine tasting, you're supposed to taste the wine and not down the whole glass at once or you'll find yourself in the position of having an empty glass and won't know what to do when he says something like, "Now eat a bite of the mango and taste the chardonnay. Do you think it complements the mango?" Oops.





I was hoping to get my picture taken with him to show my kiddos who LOVE Food Network and watch Iron Chef regularly, but alas, I think we scared him off because boy, did he disappear after his talk! Oh well, that's what Photoshop's for. ;)

Well, I'm off to bed now. I have to be up and going way too early tomorrow!

New Jersey or Bust

Coming soon - highlights from my trip to New Jersey.

Johnson and Johnson has invited several mommy bloggers to a Camp Baby event in New Jersey. I was chatting with Suburban Correspondant and mentioned that I was going to "New Jersey - the armpit of America." She responded with, "I grew up in New Jersey."
"Ohhh. Um, when I said armpit of America, I meant a nice, freshly shaved, Spring Fresh deodorant scented, armpit. Yeah. Really."

Does anyone stick their feet in their mouths as much as I do?

Then my friend Denise sent me an email saying that Newark had gone a whopping 43 days without a murder. They almost beat their record of 57 days! How thoughtful of my friend to inform me that I'll be shot on my way to the hotel, huh?

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to meeting other bloggers because I really don't know anybody. I never find the time to surf through the mazes of other blogs out there. I'm going to be the dork with no friends, just sitting in the corner in my maternity shirt trying not to look like an idiot. But, on the bright side, I get the whole bed to myself while I'm there. No snoring for two blissful nights!