Give Aways! | Heir to Blair

Starbucks Tribute

15 Mar posted by heirtoblair

It was a hard morning, saying goodbye to our pup of sixteen years with a final scratch of the ears, knowing she was peaceful.

The Momma & I stood together outside the vet’s office, tears flowing freely in our sadness, & we wondered how to go on with our day & walk away from her. How we could pretend everything was normal, knowing that final goodbyes had just been said as an act of human selflessness, to let Missy go out of love?

It seemed natural to make a right out of the vet office towards our neighborhood Starbucks, where we ducked out of the drizzling rain & ordered our favorite blend.

Sitting at a small cafe table near the back, The Momma & I clicked our coffee cups to Missy & laughed about our sweetest memories of that little dog. Like the time we had to hose her out from under the deck with water or when she carried her pups in on Christmas morning by the scruff of their necks or how the vet thanked us that morning for giving her such a wonderful life.

The tears fell over our coffee cups, but they were tears of happiness, knowing we did the best we could over sixteen years.

So rather than a card with a scribbled note or a batch of brownies for the mourning, we shared our hearts over steaming cups & gave thanks for the little life that made such a big difference.

To our Missy & our family & the love we shared for sixteen years.

So that you may honor someone you love & pay tribute to joy in your life, I’m giving away one $100 gift card to Starbucks. That purchases roughly 25 grande lattes, which should make for a great girl’s morning out or keep you properly caffeinated for several months unless you have a serious addiction.

To be entered for a chance to win, simply tell me this: How do you pay tribute to those you love & the memories you share?

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This sweepstakes is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from March 15th to April 1st 2012.

Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ stories and find more chances to win!

You loved Tribute Blend so much, Starbucks brought it back. But, only for a limited time. Tribute Blend is a spicy, full-bodied blend with dark cherry notes, featuring four of our highest quality beans aged Sumatra, sun-dried Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and Colombia beans.

Raise a cup once more to the limited-time return of Starbucks Tribute Blend. It’s still just for you, and still because of you. Available for a limited time in whole bean and Starbucks VIA.

HeirtoBlair500x150 v41 Starbucks Tribute

418 Comments
Filed Under: Give Aways!, I have real-life friends, I share DNA with these folks, Life in General, Stuff I Love

This Week on Babble + a cool giveaway just for fun.

31 Jan posted by heirtoblair

My toddler momma essentials.

Here are some awesome toddler beds, from the affordable to the no-freaking-way.

I think everyone should take their toddler out to dinner. (but don’t be a jackass about it)

I asked for tips on becoming a stay-at-home momma.

I talked about the importance of volunteering even in a crazy-busy life.

I showed off fifteen incredible nurseries for normal people.

The response was so awesome that I did it again.

____________________________________

My friend Amy just opened her new Etsy shop, Smitten Image, & would love to offer one of you a freebie print to her shop! I love this fire truck but the barn animals with their “sounds” beneath them hits my funny bone in the best way possible.

Cute, right? I KNOW.

Hope on over & let me know which print you would pick & I’ll select a winner in the comments!

126 Comments
Filed Under: Babbling on Babble, Give Aways!, Toddler Times

Olive Garden: When you’re here, you’re family. ®

30 Jan posted by heirtoblair

There is nothing worse than a child that does not understand how to properly eat in a restaurant. The screaming & impatience & throwing of things, the stares & glares of fellow patrons, where the mother cringes knowing that while she won’t have to do dishes, it is not going to be a relaxing nigh tout with the family. Doug & I are determined for Harrison not to be this kid in a restaurant, but we also know it is up to us to teach him the proper way to behave.

(This parenting gig, once again with the expectations & duties!)

On the other hand, we understand that our kiddo is two years old & has limitations. He is still perfecting an “inside voice” & patience is not yet a virtue he possesses. So when we do venture the world of public dining as a family, we have strict criteria:

a) They must have a kids menu.

b) The service must be quick.

c) The atmosphere must be family-oriented & boisterous.

When BlogHer offered our family the opportunity to share a family dinner at Olive Garden, we jumped at the chance. (Because honestly? Who doesn’t love the OG?! BREADSTICKS!) I have Italian family, so I adore Olive Garden’s ability to provide Italian-inspired family meals to curb my craving for Pork Milanese or minestrone soup.

On Sunday night, after a long weekend of scrubbing the house & playing at the park, we needed time as a family to relax together. So we loaded up in the car & headed to Olive Garden for a family dinner at 5:30pm.

We sat down immediately & they brought a high chair & kids menu for Harry. He colored happily while Doug & I picked out our meal & wine. Our waiter laughed with Harrison & brought him an extra chocolate milk without us asking. The food arrived quickly; Harrison dug into his mac n’ cheese & grapes while the adults shared a Merlot. There were a few moments where Harrison became boisterous & we reminded him to use an “inside voice” & to stay seated in his chair, but it did not disrupt the other patron’s dinners thanks to the music & bustle of the restaurant. Olive Garden is for families & they make the dining experience as welcoming as possible for those of us with small tots.

P1011447 1024x768 Olive Garden: When youre here, youre family. ®

We don’t go out to eat a lot, but it is nice to know that should momma need a night off from the stove & dishes, there’s a place that welcomes our entire family.

p.s. almost as good as eating Olive Garden for dinner? Eating Olive Garden for lunch. Thank you, leftovers!

Olive Garden now has a 3 Course Italian Dinner for $12.95. The dinner consists of a 1st course of soup or salad, a 2nd course of one of five new entrees and a 3rd course of one of five Dolcini desserts. To see what’s available, check out Olivegarden.com/specials.

Now the fun! One of you will win a $100 gift card to Olive Garden, courtesy of BlogHer & Olive Garden! To be entered for a chance to win, just leave me a comment telling me who you’d take to dinner (or lunch!) with you.

Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. >The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 1/23/12 – 3/18/12.

Also, visit the Olive Garden page on BlogHer.com to check out the other blogger reviews and more chances to win!

598 Comments
Filed Under: Give Aways!

Capturing & creating memories with Canon.

5 Dec posted by heirtoblair

Halloween2010 200x300 Capturing & creating memories with Canon.

I knew we would be perfect candidates for Canon’s “Your Second Shot” project. (you know that cute ad with the couple going back to Barcelona? that camera! that project!) Last year, our camera settings were off in the fading day of Halloween, creating a horrid gold cast that ruined all pictures where Doug & I are posed with Harrison. I eventually converted them to a basic black & white, but you miss the amazing color that popped from the mums last year, or the pink tail of Harry’s mouse costume, or how I painted my nose with hot pink lipstick.

The entire moment wasn’t lost, but the full story isn’t told. I hate it when that happens.

Canon graciously sent me the new Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS & I knew the perfect moment to capture – Halloween 2011 in full color. We carved pumpkins & watered mums & spread fake spiderwebbing & purchased a Captain America costume, all to create a memory that would last forever on film.

But.

Life got in the way. Family crisis & pouring rain left me alone with Harrison on the coldest, most dreary Halloween I can remember since my own childhood. The day grew darker & darker as rain pounded from the skies & we waited for Doug to get home. After Harrison crawled into bed, his third Halloween spent without a costume & trick-or-treating, I sat down on the floor in frustration. The project, lost. The evening, forgotten. Just like last year.

Doug came home & we turned off the front porch light. Some nights call for champagne & lingerie & music, but we put on comfy tshirts & crawled in bed with mugs of coffee & cider. The leftover Halloween candy was eaten as we laughed over episodes of One Tree Hill on the iPad (my Netflix choice, much to his dismay). The room was lit by one small 40-watt bulb, but I pulled out the Canon PowerShot & snapped this self-portrait, full of love.

It’s not the Halloween picture I planned or hoped for. You cannot always capture the moments, but when you capture it for a lifetime? These tiny moments? They are so much sweeter.

So thank you, BlogHer & Canon, for helping me create a Halloween memory that wasn’t orchestrated, but is so adored.

This picture made possible by Canon’s incredible new PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. With its 24mm ultra-wide lens & HS System, it is perfect for capturing low-light images without ruining the color or clarity of the shot. We own the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS & love it, so I was thrilled to test out this newer version. Verdict? It is amazing. I cannot wait to show you even more pictures that are better planned. It is also so slim & light-weight that it’s perfect for a diaper bag or clutch, to carry around as the go-to daily camera.

Canon & BlogHer supplied me with the new camera, as well as compensation for my time. They’re awesome, but the opinions & photography are mine.

_________________________________________________

Leave a comment for the chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.
Visit Your Second Shotto read other lost moment stories, and then leave a comment here sharing which is your favorite for the chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

Sweepstakes will run from 12/5 to 12/18

For more opportunities to win, visit the Canon round-up page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers’ reviews!

164 Comments
Filed Under: Give Aways!, Life in General, The I Do's, Things that aren't perfect despite my best efforts

One way or another, aka Oreck vacuum review & giveaway!

23 Nov posted by heirtoblair

A few months ago, my old Hoover gave one final death rattle as the bottom fell completely off. Which was a good thing, considering we had electrical tape holding the cord together & it was only a matter of time before our house burned down during my weekly cleaning session. I tweeted out for suggestions, got a few but ended up going the expected route by purchasing…well, I can’t really do a call out because it’s just not nice or fair to any party involved but I will say that it rhymes with the guy on the right.

& I was pleased. My vacuum did it’s job, did it well, but when Oreck approached me to review their new Forever Series Gold vacuum, I hopped on the chance. Mainly because when I was vacuum shopping, there was very little reviewing or comparison. There was a lot of “I love my Hoover!” but no explanation. & everyone out there claimed “WE SUCK THE MOST!” but there was no real comparison as to who sucked in a good way & who just…sucked.

I was a little surprised when I unpacked my Oreck vacuum & realized it was kind of old-school looking. & that the attachments weren’t for the upright vacuum, but for the Ultimate Handheld Vacuum Cleaner.

Remember how your momma always told you to not judge a book by it’s cover? YEAH. THAT.

IMG 0133 1024x768 One way or another, aka Oreck vacuum review & giveaway!

Short & sweet? While it’s awkward having two different vacuums where most combine the two, there is a huge difference & advantage. Because the upright doesn’t have the extra parts, it is super-light. It almost seems to propel itself & both Doug & I prefer it to our old vacuum. It lies almost flat in motion to reach under beds, which means that the dog hair under the bed has finally met it’s match without me having to lift the mattress. Because it’s lacking the bulk of the attachments, there’s space for an extra-long cord (35 ft!) so that I can make it through the entire floor level without having to switch outlets. Also, the HEPA bag is excellent for my asthma, meaning that nothing gets kicked back into the air – it’s all trapped in the bag.

& the Ultimate Handheld? HELLO, MY NEW LOVAH. No more lugging a vacuum up & down stairs, balancing it on stairs while trying to find the right attachment. I just sling it over my shoulder & hop up & down the stairs. The attachments hook right on & the extra-long cord means that I can tackle the windows & drapes in the dining room, move up the stairs, & get the fan blades in the loft without any readjustment.

So how does it compare?

The Oreck & rhymes-with-bison are comparable suck-wise. My floors are wonderfully clean. The Oreck Forever Series Gold is lighter & has a longer cord, which makes it easier to pull it out for a quick clean after dinner. On the rhymes-with-bison, it is all in one package, so it is heavier & bulkier with a shorter cord. On the other hand, the maneuverability of the Ultimate Handheld cannot be beat. I’ve found myself gravitating towards the Oreck every time, even though I had once been so stoked to join the rhymes-with-bison club a year ago.

(I kept my mouth shut & handed Doug the Oreck to see which he likes & hands-down, he prefers the Oreck.)

So here’s the lovely part for you! One of you will win an Oreck Forever Series Gold vacuum & the Ultimate Handheld, valued at $599.

To enter, please visit Oreck & tell me one thing you’ve learned about the Oreck Forever Series Gold vacuum.

Overachiever? That’s okay. I have more ways for you to enter. Just leave a new comment for each task:
1) Follow Oreck on Twitter
2) Like Oreck on Facebook

Rules: The giveaway winner MUST reside in the 48 United States contiguous states. Sorry, Canadians & Sarah Palin.

legality: oreck graciously provided me with an oreck forever series golf vacuum & ultimate handheld vacuum at no cost to me. i was not compensated for my time or opinion. i am the sponsor of the giveaway while oreck supplies the prize. however, i am so in love with the product & company that we have started an awesome new relationship. boom!

468 Comments
Filed Under: Give Aways!, Stuff I Love, Suzie Homemaker, Videoblog