She Scribes

Wow talk about a great way to start your day. The press release announcing the judges for Sabra’s Taste Intervention contest was send out. Its pretty cool to see your name in a press release.

Here is the press release found on PR Web, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4321714.htm

Autographs are always free (I’m kidding).

Remember there is still time to enter Sabra’s Taste Intervention contest. The grand prize is an amazing trip to Turkey that will truly make your taste buds come alive. The second place prize is not too shabby either. You could win a meal cooked by a gourmet chef in your home for your family and friends. As much as I’d love to win a trip to Turkey I think the second place prize is wonderful too. It would be fun to share a fancy, gourmet meal with family and friends.

I am also having a Sabra giveaway here on my site. You can find the giveaway on the right side bar under “Win It”, or you can click on this link, http://www.shescribes.com/2010/07/exciting-news.html.

For more information on the Taste Intervention contest or Sabra products please visit www.Sabra.com.

Hurry! Both contests end on August 1, 2010.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I posted this information for the benefit of my readers, as well as to share my excitement.

Do you have a very special birthday coming up? Perhaps you are turning 30, 40 or 50? Or do you have a daughter about to celebrate her sweet 16 or an infant fast approaching their first birthday? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions you might want to consider one of the fun birthday shirts from Just Jen. Just Jen also offers custom bridal shirts, holiday shirts, maternity shirts and more!

I remember when my children were little and celebrating their first birthdays (seems like only yesterday). I went all out with the “First Birthday” outfit, bib, hat – you name it! I think it’s innate in parents to want to let everyone know that their child is celebrating a very special birthday.

Fast forward to your child’s Sweet 16 birthday. Most teen girls want the entire universe to know about their special day in any way possible. My daughter has been planning her Sweet 16 since she was 6! Ha Ha.

Perhaps you are someone like me who realize that age is just a number and nothing to shy away from. Are you proud of the fact that you are turning 30 or 40? Maybe you are one hot mama at 50 and want to let the world know that it’s your 5oth birthday. A great way to do that is with one of the many birthday shirts offered by Just Jen. 

Just Jen offers a variety of birthday designs for your special occasion. From a child’s first birthday to your own you can have a birthday tee shirt created just for you by Just Jen in your choice of shirt style, shirt color, rhinestone color and personalization. You can even have your design put on a tank, hoodie or other apparel.

Just Jen let me create a special shirt for myself. Since it’s not my birthday I thought it would be fun to go with my Zodiac sign, Gemini.

Ordering is VERY easy. First you need to select your design. Then you get to chose from nearly a dozen different apparel styles. I chose the unisex t-shirt that is unfitted. I don’t like my tops too tight.

My next choice was to pick out the size I wanted. The Just Jen shirts range in adult sizes from small to 3X. I chose 3X because I like it very loose.

You also get your choice of shirt colors such as pink, white, black, lavender, baby blue, red and more. I opted for black. I thought the rhinestones would really shimmer and “pop” on a black background (plus black is “slimming”).  

Next was the hard part. I had to choose the color of the rhinestones to use on my design. There are nearly 2 dozen color options so it was hard for me to pick. I ended up going with a dark green/Emerald color since that is my birthstone.

That’s all there was to it. I didn’t have to jump through hoops to place the order. It was as easy as 1-2-3.

My shirt arrived very quickly. The first thing I noticed was how very soft it felt. It was very snuggly and it fit like a dream. It’s by far one of the most comfortable tops I own.

I LOVE how sparkly the dark green/Emerald crystals look, especially when the light hits them “just right”.

I tried very hard to get a good shot of the design. The flash kept interfering with the design and making the colors look washed out (including the shirt). In person the shirt is jet black in color and the rhinestones are a beautiful dark green/Emerald color.

I’m sorry. I wanted to have my picture taken actually wearing the shirt but I chickened out. I’m a bit camera shy (to say the least!).

I’ve worn the shirt out a few times and I have received a couple of compliments. I think it’s because the rhinestones really catch people’s attention and it draws their eyes to your shirt. So far I have heard “I like your shirt” and “I love the design” from total strangers. My 13 year old daughter loves it. Since she’s a Gemini too she wants to wear is however she’s a size small and my tee shirt is a 3X so that won’t work. So it has teen appeal too.

I’m giving my Just Jen birthday shirt two thumbs up for it’s comfort, the beautiful rhinestone designs, ease of ordering and fast shipping.

To learn more about Just Jen customized rhinestone birthday shirts and more visit www.JustJen.com.

Just Jen would like to award a lucky winner a birthday shirt of their own. It can be for you or a gift for someone special in your life. Thanks Just Jen!

To enter please visit the Just Jen birthday shirt section, http://www.justjen.com/shop/birthday-tshirts.htm, then come back here and comment on what birthday shirt you would order (design, style, color, rhinestone color). Don’t worry. If you are the winner you can change your mind.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each that you have  done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe and/or Follow (Google Friend) She Scribes. Both options are found on the right side bar. I ♥ my subscribers & followers!

- “Like” Just Jen on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/JustJenShop.

- Follow Just Jen on Twitter, http://twitter.com/JustJenShop.

- Follow She Scribes (@She_Scribes) and tweet about this review/giveaway. Please include me in the tweet too so I may see it. This is limited to three spaced apart tweets per day.

- Use any of the social networking buttons found below to promote this review/giveaway. Please let me know what you did and if possible provide a URL and/or name.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using  a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name, address (no PO Box) and t-shirt choice or a new winner will be chosen.

Please show the ♥ and consider “liking” She Scribes on Facebook (found on the right side bar).

Other great giveaways are found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received a free sample shirt in order to do this review. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

For several months I have heard a buzz among some fellow bloggers about a website called People of Walmart (www.PeopleofWalmart.com). I heard some people say it was funny and others say it was totally degrading. I have been meaning to check it out myself to draw up my own conclusions but I never got around to it.

The People of Walmart website features photos taken by Walmart shoppers and employees of some of the rather colorful and unique people who shop in the store. As you know the world is filled with people who march to the beat of their own drums. Others are either totally clueless or really don’t care what others think about them.

For the record I shop at Walmart.

When I was asked if I wanted to check out an advanced copy of the People of Walmart’s new book, appropriately titled People of Walmart.com: Shop & Awe, I figured it would be interesting to check out.

People of Walmart.com: Shop & Awe is a small sized paperback book. The book is filled with photos from their website along with the author’s own thoughts and interpretations of what is seen in the picture. There are also short stories from Walmart employees and Walmart shoppers about their rather interesting experiences at the store.

I read the book from cover to cover. I can tell you that its NOT a “kid-friendly” book. I thought maybe it would have a lot of funny and silly photos inside that my kids could get a good chuckle over. My 13 year old daughter actually started looking through the book before I did and couldn’t help but comment on how she felt a lot of the pictures were no appropriate and she was actually put off by then. After reading the book myself I can see why. It’s not that my daughter is a “goody two shoes” or a prude, but she knows enough to realize that photos of women barely dressed is not exactly something a 13 year old (or my soon to be 11 year old son) should be reading.

I would say you need to take the book with a “grain of salt”. There is a good, bad and ugly side to it.

The Good – There were a few photos that had me giggle a bit. They were mostly the pictures of people dressed in costumes (like a guy dressed in a costume playing a Wii game on display), or people dressed in silly attire. My favorite photos were of the cars found in Walmart parking lots. Here is an example of what I mean (this photos is not in the book).

The Bad – Oh may! There are some horrible parents out there! There is a photo in the book of an infant sleeping in a shopping car (NOT in a car seat or carrier either) with a heavy electronics box balancing ON TOP of the cart above the baby (it looked like a VCR box). There are also pictures of parents pushing carts around with a child lying on the underside of the cart (where you put the big, bulky items). I was NOT amused or entertained by those images. In fact they left a sick feeling in my stomach to know that there are such horrible parents out there.

The Ugly – I really could have done WITHOUT the comments by the authors. No offense to them. I know they are trying to be funny and all but some of their comments were downright mean. There are a lot of overweight people featured in this book wearing clothes that are too tight or have “back boobs” (fatty deposits in the backs that resemble boobs). I don’t think I take offense to their comments so much so because I am an overweight person myself. I just think it’s mean in general. Even my average weight husband and daughter both too offense to the fat comments.

I realize that some people dress in interesting and unique ways. We (you and me) might think they are silly and funny, and get a good laugh at them, but that doesn’t mean the the person wearing the outfits think they are a joke. These people feel good about how they look. Who are “we” to judge them. If they think they look good and it makes them happy, and it’s not offensive to others (meaning foul language or nudity) then I say leave them alone.

Some people featured in the book looked like people who might either be homeless or living in poverty. I”m sorry but sometimes you have to wear whatever you can, even if that means something that might be ripped or totally out of fashion.

I was REALLY shocked at just how many people go shopping half naked! There is a picture in a book of a lady shopping in the frozen food aisle dressed like a dominatrix! And ladies who are dangerously close to exposing parts of their bodies that need to be kept under wraps when out in public.

I also cannot understand how the store employees and managers allow half naked people to roam the aisles. If I saw a women walk in my store with her “goodies” exposed for all to see I would kindly ask her to leave. I would enforce some kind of a dress code and put up a disclaimer that clearly says that management has a right to refuse people at their discretion for not being dressed appropriately. Or at least something to that effect.

The book was certainly an eye opening experience. I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go around.

I could have done without the comments from the authors. I would rather come up with my own scenarios about what was going on in the picture. I also could have done without so many photos making fun of overweight people.

My overall thoughts about the book is neutral. I didn’t love it or hate it. It was just “OK”. If you are a fan of the website then there is no doubt that you would love the book. If you are unfamiliar with the People of Walmart I strongly recommend that you check out the website FIRST before purchasing the book, just to make sure its something you would enjoy.

To learn more about the People of Walmart visit www.PeopleofWalmart.com.

The book will be sold at most book retail locations (who knows, maybe even Walmart – ha ha). The book is 244 pages and it published by Sourcebooks. The book will be released September 1, 2010. You can pre-order it now on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel.

Kimberly

*I received a free advanced copy of this book in order to do this review. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.