This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When my family moved to rural Virginia 10 years ago, one thing we wanted most was a big garden. There is nothing like knowing where your food comes from, that you have a hand in bringing it into fruition, and that is it not pumped full of chemicals. Over the past 10 years we have avoided using most chemicals; my husband would put sevin powder on our potato plants, but that was about it. So anything that is organic and natural is right up my alley. 

Whitney Farms® has 25+ years in developing products for people like me who want to grow their food without the aid of pesticides. They have a full line of organic plant food  and organic soil made from ingredients from the Earth – just as Mother Nature intended!

I would recommend an organic product like Whitney Farms® over conventional plant foods, hands down.

• low to no dust
• no manure odor
• easy to apply
• contains beneficial microbes
• specially designed protein-based blends provide your plants with both macro and micronutrients they need to grow and thrive

Want to try out Whitney Farms® for yourself?

Right now you can get a coupon for $3 off of plant foods and soils good through 7/31/2012.

Grow Organic with Whitney Farms is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Rascal Flatts is back at it, with their eighth studio album, Changed (released April 3rd).

“Change isn’t always easy to go through,” says Joe Don, “and some of this was hard for us. But fortunately there’s another side to change. We’re all family men now, husbands and fathers, and there is so much stability to draw on there. Put it all together, and it’s life-changing stuff that can be scary, but beautiful at the same time.”

I like Rascal Flatts. They’re one of those groups you know just by sound, or at least I do. When I hear one of their songs I think of home, simplicity, and just smile. Even the sad songs make me smile. If you’re a Rascal Flatts fan, you’re going to love Changed.

Check out the official music video for the song Banjo, track 2 on Changed.

Changed was released on April 3rd and has 11 great new songs to give you your Rascal Flatts fix. As an added bonus, the deluxe version of the album has an extra track and 4 bonus tracks.

Rascal Flatts on Tour

For additional tour dates or to buy tickets go to rascalflatts.com.

**disclaimer: I received a copy of Rascal Flatts’ Changed for the purposes of this post courtesy of the One2One Network. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Rascal Flatts: CHANGED is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s that time of year again! 

Time to start stalking your local nurseries (as in plants!) to find those perfect flowers, to tempt yourself with fresh fruits and veggies – home grown!!! My husband and I have already picked up a few fruit trees and some early planting veggies to kick-start our garden for the year.

One thing we find to be a bit trying is finding the right alchemy for our plants. 

I’ve never actually used Miracle-Gro before. My sister has, so has my brother-in-law, with positive results.

Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix could solve my garden alchemy issues:

• Produces up to 3 times the flowers and vegetables versus native soil
• Improves soil for multiple years, significantly
• It’s concentrated! Planting mix expands up to 3 times when water is added
• Feeds for up to 6 months
• All natural fibers (I’m all for all natural!) holds up to 50% more water than your basic potting soil

I’m really looking forward to testing this out in my garden this season. I’m thinking the tomatoes and green peppers could use a little pick-me-up; they can be so touch and go.

A revolutionary mix of natural coconut coir and Miracle-Gro® plant food.

Coir – a lightweight, 100% natural material derived from coconut husk. 

Coir’s unique moisture holding abilities help Expand ‘n Gro™ retain more moisture than basic potting and garden soils and then releases water as plant need it to help prevent over or under watering.  

What about you?

Have you used Miracle-Gro plant food? Do you like it?

Are you interested in trying Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro? 

Check this out – Get a coupon for $3 off Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro

Time to Prep Your Garden with Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

For the past year, Walgreens has negotiated with Express Scripts for a new contract to continue as part of its pharmacy provider network. Those negotiations were unsuccessful, and the contract expired on Dec. 31. As a result, Walgreens is no longer part of Express Scripts’ pharmacy provider network as of Jan. 1, 2012. This includes all Walgreens pharmacies nationwide and Duane Reade pharmacies in the New York City area.

What is Express Scripts?

Notice: Walgreens & Express Scripts Update & How This Could Affect You is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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PRETTY follows Bebe Baker, a young woman coming to terms with her boyfriend’s death and her rocky journey to sobriety. Bebe is an ex-everything: ex-stripper, ex-Christian, ex-drug addict, ex-pretty girl. It’s been one year since the car accident that killed her boyfriend left her scarred and shaken. Flanked by an eccentric posse of friends, she is serving out a self-imposed sentence at a halfway house, while trying to finish cosmetology school. Amid the rampant diagnoses, over-medication, compulsive eating, and acrylic nails of Los Angeles, Bebe looks for something to believe in before something – her past, the dangerously magnetic men in her life, her own bad choices – knocks her off course again.

My Thoughts

Pretty is a book I won’t soon forget. Bebe is not someone to pity, but rather someone to watch. All her life she has been searching for who she is. She has been born again and again and is ever hopeful that one day it will stick.

Except for the ex-everything et al., I completely relate to Bebe. Who hasn’t thought about how their life should have been, could have been, should be, could be. Bebe is all about hope. She never loses hope even when she thinks it is all hopeless.

This is not a book about the privileged or the semi-privileged nor is it about the under-privileged. Pretty is about finding one’s way in life, regardless of the path we choose. One wrong turn does not mean game over. There is always another road just waiting to be taken.

About the Author

Jillian Lauren is a performer, writer and author of the New York Times bestseller Some Girls: My Life in a Harem and has an MFA from Antioch University. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Weezer bassist, Scott Shriner and their son.

Bonus:

The first 250 people on 9/7 to order “Pretty” on Amazon, and email the receipt to pretty.the.book@gmail.com, will receive a Limited Edition run of the “Pretty” necklace, made by FairyTaleJewels.com.

Win It!

Win your own copy of Pretty by Jillian Lauren.

Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below to enter this giveaway.

Giveaway will end on September 14, 2011 at Midnight EST and is open to residents of the U.S., 18 years of age or older. Winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will be notified via email. Additionally, I will post the winner’s name on my site in a separate post on or around September 16, 2011. Winner will have 48 hours from the time the email is sent to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I would not tell you something was wonderful if I did not truly believe it so. Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information. I received a copy of Jillian Lauren’s book ‘Pretty ‘ courtesy of Global Influences for the purposes of this review.

Review & Giveaway – Pretty: A Novel by Jillian Lauren is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Hydra Refine^® redefines oily skin care with a line of five products that balance your skin’s pH, controlling the production of oil while maintaining facial moisture.  If you’re wondering how it’s possible to fight oil while keeping skin moisturized, the answer lies in the four main ingredients that define Hydra Refine^®:

Featured Ingredients:

• Laminaria Saccharina Seaweed—This unique seaweed helps reduce sebum production and fights the oil oxidation that contributes to the formation of blackheads.  At the same time, it hydrates the skin never leaving you dry or irritated.
• Lemongrass—With antiseptic and astringent properties, lemongrass is ideal for treating oily skin, and is a known anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.
• Farnesol (Lily of the Valley)—This natural ingredient supplies the skin with protection against acne causing bacteria.
• Cucumber—Cucumber is widely known as a soothing, cooling and healing agent, but the essential oil of cucumber has even greater benefits.  With vital fatty acids and anti-oxidants, such as Vitamin E and Zinc, cucumber oil protects the skin and aids in healing.  Proteolytic enzymes refine the skin and help keep pores clean and clear.

My Experience

I was sent Repechage Hydra Refine One-Minute Clarifying Mask to try and give my opinion. Now, with your typical facial mask you would rub a generous amount over your face and neck, being careful to avoid sensitive areas around the eyes and nose. Then you would wait about 10 minutes before washing your face. Repechage is different. After rubbing over your face and neck there is no long wait, no hardening of the face, no feeling trapped by your facial mask. Just hop in the shower, wait about a minute, then wash off.

The scent is not overpowering and perfume-y like your typical facial mask, either; it’s a clean, fresh scent. Not to mention it doesn’t dry out your skin. I absolutely love that!

Price Point ~ $31.00 for a 2 oz. tube.

Now, before you let the cost scare you, think about what you are getting. You are getting natural, spa-quality, professional skin care in the comfort of your home. You are getting the spa treatment any time (every time) you take a shower, if you so desire.

_______________________
Find out more about Repechage on twitter and facebook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Spring Skin Renewal with Repechage is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Freschetta By the Slice, Can You Eat Just One?… plus a giveaway {closed} is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Currently, body care products are not required to comply with the stringent organic food standards maintained by certification bodies such as the BFA and NASAA in Australia and the USDA in America, hence the plethora of so many “organic” body care products now on the market.

Since water is the primary ingredient in many cosmetics, some manufacturers are claiming to use organic hydrosols, or floral water, to green wash their products and make organic label claims while using the same synthetic toxic ingredients that would NEVER be allowed in organic food products. We believe this practice has the potential to destroy the integrity of the organic name.

Miessence® is currently one of a few skin care products on the planet that has submitted to, and complies with, the rigorous processing and labeling requirements for certified organic food products.

There is a lot of talk these days about going natural or organic, but no one really explains what that is let alone what is considered natural, good for you, or organic. To me natural and organic is simple: no man-made chemicals or additives.

When my family grows a garden we don’t use Miracle Grow or anything like that. In fact, one year our chickens ate the Japanese potato beetles, protecting our potato plants, which in turn produced a tremendous crop of organic potatoes.

If I don’t believe in pesticides or chemicals in my food, then why would I believe in them on my skin?

Simply put, I don’t.

I no longer use commercial shampoo/conditioner, which I can get for free all day long by the way. Of course, I don’t pay a ton for my coconut oil conditioner, lemon juice/water shampoo either. Yet money should not be the number one determining factor when it comes to deciding on what you will put on your body, should it?

I was sent a few samples of Miessence® Rejuvenating products. And before you think I am going to say I like the product because I got to try it for free, know that I only received sample packets much like the image to the right. I am going to say I like the product because I actually like the product.

First thing that struck me was the scent; it was just so earthy. Must be all of those natural ingredients.

certified organic aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, aqua, certified organic rosa rubiginosa (rosehip) seed oil, certified organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, certified organic persea gratissima (avocado) fruit oil, certified organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) fruit butter, certified organic ethanol (sugar cane alcohol), non-gmo lecithin, certified organic citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) fruit extract, certified organic olea europaea (olive) juice extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, sclerotium rolfsii gum, certified organic rosa damascena (rose) essential oil, certified organic chamaemelum nobile (roman chamomile) essential oil, certified organic matricaria recutita (chamomile) flower extract, certified organic centella asiatica (gotu kola) extract, certified organic humulus lupulus (hops) extract, certified organic equisetum arvense (horsetail) extract, certified organic urtica dioica (nettle) extract

The second thing I noticed was the color. Unlike your typical white, white lotions, the Miessence Rejuvenating Moisturizer is a creamy tan-ish color. This means no artificial anything to make it look like something pure.White does not mean natural, natural means natural.

Miessence offers four skin care profiles to suit a variety of needs:

1. BALANCING (Normal/Combination Skin)
2. REJUVENATING (Dry/Mature Skin)
3. PURIFYING (Oily/Problem Skin)
4. SOOTHING (Sensitive Skin)

But mostly, I noticed that I love the way my skin feels after I use Miessence. My skin is dry, but many moisturizers make it oily, couple that with getting older and it’s like throwing darts at a wall to find the right product. Because who really wants to look or feel greasy all day?

Your Skin is the Largest Organ of Your Body

Did you know that the average woman applies more than 200 chemicals to her skin by using her skin care products in one day? Did you know that 60% of these chemicals are further absorbed into your bloodstream? These are two of the main reasons that organic skincare is one of the fastest growing areas of the beauty industry today (Benefits of Organic Personal Skin Care Products, www.organic-fair-trade.com).

Price Point ~ Varies with product. Miessence is not for those looking for cheap skincare; it’s for those looking for an organic and natural alternative to all the chemicals typically used. Free samples with every order. Free shipping worldwide on orders of $100 or more.

Be sure to check out Ely Organics on Facebook to find out more about Miessence and its benefits to you and to the environment.

_________________
Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Miessence, Truly Organic Skin Care Products is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Last summer Suze Orman launched a new online community www.MoneyMindedMoms.com, a site devoted to helping moms make smarter money choices.

MoneyMindedMoms community members have free access to valuable, easy to follow advice about topics such as erasing and managing debt, raising money minded kids and coupons and discounts. Providing moms with sound advice is Suze’s top priority and she takes the time to personally respond to questions from members and has even been known to post a video response in some cases. The site offers useful tools like a debt eliminator and expense tracker, a coupon savings center, as well as forums for sharing stories and insights with like-minded moms.

Plus, every month through May, one lucky member will win 1-on-1 time with Suze through the
“Ask Suze” Sweepstakes.

I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of constantly hearing about the financially ‘trying times’ we are in or ‘in these tough economic’ blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is if we planned better, saved more, and lived within our means these less than ideal times would not hurt near as much. Then again, if we all did that our economy would not grow and we would have fewer millionaires. The world needs spenders and savers AND those who do both in moderation.

Money Minded Moms (and Dads and Kids and …)

Suze Orman has developed a site based on her books and her philosophies about money, then coupled that with a community so we can learn not only from her, but from one another. Many times we feel like we are the only ones going through a particular situation, this is rarely the case. Get financial advice, find a path, gain some perspective, and plan for your future (whether it’s a month or a decade or more).

Win a copy of Suze Orman’s Book Action Plan

Giveaway Rules:

Mandatory entry:

Tell me one thing you learned from the MoneyMindedMoms website.

Additional entries:

Like MoneyMindedMoms on Facebook.

Follow @MoneyMindedMoms on Twitter

do both for 2 extra entries

Please complete the form below to enter this giveaway.

If you have problems with the form, please send me an email with your information [be sure to include MoneyMindedMoms Giveaway in your email] and I will manually add your information to the form according to the time stamp on the email.

Giveaway will end on March 28, 2011 at Midnight EST and is open to residents of the U.S., 18 years of age or older. Winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will be notified via email. Additionally, I will post the winner’s name on my site in a separate post on or around March 29, 2011. Winner will have 48 hours from the time the email is sent to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀
Disclosure: All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I would not tell you something was wonderful if I did not truly believe it so. Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information. I received a copy of Suze Orman’s book ‘Action Plan ‘ courtesy of MoneyMindedMoms through MyBlogSpark for the purposes of this review.

Money Matters: What’s Your ‘Action Plan’? {closed} is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Spring Has Arrived at Pier 1 is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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