The Lucky 7

NIAW Giveaway: The Winners!!

2011-05-08T19:17:00.000-04:00

This giveaway was a big success. I want to thank everyone who participated and shared the giveaway with your friends. You didn't just spread the word about some free prizes, you brought awareness to a disease which often gets no attention. Infertility affects over 7 million americans and all to often those affected must suffer in silence. If you want to help break that silence I encourage you to visit RESOLVE and find out how you can get involved.

I also want to say a big thanks to Jen over at the Blog Giveaway Directory. She advertised the heck out of this event. If you host blog giveaways you must team up with Jen. She does all the hard work for you at a very reasonable price. She will blog about your giveaway, post a link to it on her sidebar, post it on Facebook, Tweet it to her 2,700+ followers, and post it on TONS of giveaway linkys all over the internet. It has made a big difference in my giveaways. So, thanks Jen!!

Now let's get to the fun part. The winners have been chosen!! Each of you will receive and email before 8pm EST. Please reply to that email. If you don't reply before Tuesday (May 10, 2011) at 8pm EST I will have to choose a new winner.

Giveaway # 1

TCOYF Book w/ BBT Thermometer

Congratulations Courtney W, you won!

www.random.org chose comment 1 of 162.

That comment was left by Courtney W.

Giveaway # 2

What to Expect Before You're Expecting w/ HPT & OPK tests

Congratulations Lisa, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 107 of 144

That comment was left by Lisa

Giveaway # 3

Date Night - A restaurant gift card and cinema gift card

Congratulations Sarah D, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 84 of 403

That comment was left by Sarah D.

Giveaway # 4

Beauty Products by Nature's Design

Congratulations Cheryl, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 109 of 242

That comment was left by Cheryl.

Giveaway # 5

Hope & Courage Necklace from the r house couture

Congratulations Erin S, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 70 of 144

That comment was left by Erin S.

Giveaway # 6

OV Watch Ovulation Predictor

Congratulations Jolandra, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 33 of 136

That comment was left by Jolandra.

Giveaway # 7

Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor

Congratulations Kelly T, you won!!

www.random.org chose comment # 129 of 130

That comment was left by Kelly.

NIAW Giveaway # 7: Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor

2011-04-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Most home ovulation tests identify the 2 Peak Fertility days during your cycle by detecting the surge in Luteinizing Hormone (LH) that triggers ovulation. The Clearblue® Easy Fertility Monitor is unique as it tracks 2 hormones to typically identify up to 6 fertile days – it not only shows you your 2 Peak Fertility days, it can also inform most women of an extra 1-5 days of High Fertility prior to their Peak Fertility.

How does the Clearblue® Easy Fertility Monitor work?

The Clearblue® Easy Fertility Monitor stores information about your personal hormone patterns and personalizes itself.

Typically identifies up to 6 fertile days

Most advanced way of tracking your most fertile days – the only non-invasive method that detects both LH and estrogen hormones

100% natural and non-invasive

Suitable for women with regular and irregular periods

The Clearblue® Easy Fertility Monitor is suitable for women whose natural cycle normally lasts between 21 and 42 days. (Source)

The winner of this giveaway will receive the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor! A retail value of $199.

How to enter:

Entering is simple! Just comment on this post with your email address. If you'd like to increase your odds of winning just complete the tasks for extra entries and comment on this post letting me know you've done so. For each extra entry task you complete be sure to leave separate comments. If you are posting comments anonymously please be sure to put your name and email address in each entry, otherwise I'll have no idea who you are and have to award your prize to someone else. :(

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like The Lucky 7 and it will let you link us) :

I just entered to win a OV Watch from @The Lucky 7 and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

Dawn M. earned 9 extra entries, Kari H. earned 9 extra entries, and Pam B. earned 6 extra entries for all seven NIAW giveaways in my "Earn Early Entries" post. Don't forget to use them in this giveaway ladies!

The fine print:

This giveaway is open to US Residents who are 18 years of age or older. Comments posted before May 8, 2011 3 pm EST will be eligible to win. A winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email. If the winning entrant did not complete the mandatory first entry by commenting with an email address, a new winner will be selected. The email sent to the winner will request further information (i.e. mailing address), if the winner does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Giveaway # 6: OV Watch

2011-04-29T08:00:00.005-04:00

Researchers in the late 50s and early 60s noted that numerous salts (chloride, sodium, potassium) in a woman's sweat fluctuated in relation to the menstrual cycle. Chloride levels are low at the start of the menstrual cycle and peak three times during the cycle. Using a patented biosensor, OV-Watch detects a baseline chloride ion level for each woman and then accurately predicts ovulation based on the timing of the first peak. The OV-Watch detects the chloride surge 3 days prior to the estrogen surge, 4 days prior to the LH surge and 5 days prior to ovulation, making it an earlier predictor of ovulation than any other chemical surge during the month. For women trying to conceive, knowing the days before ovulation not only lowers the stress level for her and her partner , but it increases her chances of getting pregnant. (Source: OV Watch.com)

I never got to try this myself but I always wanted too. It gets 3.5 stars (out of 5) on amazon.com. With 12 of the 25 total reviews being 5 star. It seems like the answer for those who can never remember to take their BBT first thing in the morning.

The winner of this giveaway will have the opportunity to try (and keep) the OV Watch for free!! They will also get a one month supply of sensors.

The retail value of this prize is $125.

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like The Lucky 7 and it will let you link us) :

I just entered to win a OV Watch from @The Lucky 7 and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:

Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Giveaway # 5: Hope & Courage Necklace

2011-04-28T08:00:00.008-04:00

If you haven't read my post about the r house couture and the lovely ladies behind the name, please go read it now. Their Etsy shop profile describes Lindsey, Kim, and Leisha as three dear friends who were brought together by their passion for adoption.

Their work is not just beautiful, it's powerful. Take a look, I promise you'll find at least 3 things on every page that you love! I know I did.

Lindsey, Kim, and Leisha at the r house couture have graciously donated this beautiful "Hope & Courage" necklace for giveaway.

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like the r house couture and it will let you link them):

I just entered to win a beautiful necklace from @the r house couture and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:

This giveaway is open to US Residents who are 18 years of age or older. Comments posted before May 8, 2011 3 pm EST will be eligible to win. A winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email. If the winning entrant did not complete the mandatory first entry by commenting with an email address, a new winner will be selected. The email sent to the winner will request further information (i.e. mailing address), if the winner does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Giveaway #4: Beauty Products from Nature's Design

2011-04-27T08:00:00.022-04:00

Nature's Design is owned and operated by Katrina, a stay-at-home Mom who happens to be a dear friend of mine. I gave some of her products as Christmas gifts this past year and they were all a BIG hit!

The products are amazing but the best part is that Katrina can tailor the scents for each customer. She's got a great page on her site that helps you explore fragrances to help you decide. Trust me though, go with "happiness"! If you love light, feminine fragrances you won't be disappointed. Katrina says that "happiness" is a bright, beautiful and shouts joy and peace. Cool, calm clover is mixed with tangy, sunny grapefruit to create a scent sensation that is sure to please. And I totally agree!! If this doesn't sound like it's your style, don't worry, there are about a million other choices.

The winner of this giveaway will receive Moisture Miracle Elixir Body Wash, Honey Foam Face Wash, Moisture Rich Body Mist, Castile Oatmeal Soap and 8 oz. Greek Beeswax Lotion.

Can't wait to win something awesome from Nature's Design? Check out their online store!

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like Nature's Design and it will let you link them):

I just entered to win a prize package from @Nature's Design and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:
This giveaway is open to US Residents who are 18 years of age or older. Comments posted before May 8, 2011 3 pm EST will be eligible to win. A winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email. If the winning entrant did not complete the mandatory first entry by commenting with an email address, a new winner will be selected. The email sent to the winner will request further information (i.e. mailing address), if the winner does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Giveaway # 3: Date Night

2011-04-26T08:00:00.007-04:00

Trying to conceive when struggling with infertility takes a toll on women, it takes it toll on men, and it can be brutal on a marriage. Taking time to just be the couple you were before you began TTC is so important.

The winner of this giveaway will receive a $25 gift card to the restaurant of their choice and a $20 gift certificate to the cinema of their choice.*

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status: (Do this after you like The Lucky 7 and it will let you link it)

I just entered to win a date night from @The Lucky 7 and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:
This giveaway is open to US Residents who are 18 years of age or older. Comments posted before May 8, 2011 3 pm EST will be eligible to win. A winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email. If the winning entrant did not complete the mandatory first entry by commenting with an email address, a new winner will be selected. The email sent to the winner will request further information (i.e. mailing address), if the winner does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected. *Restaurant and cinema must offer gift cards for purchase online or by phone.

Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Giveaway # 2: WTEBYE Book & Test Pack

2011-04-25T08:00:00.008-04:00

What to Expect Before You're Expecting is a great book for couples who are planning to begin trying to conceive soon. Mom and Dad-to-be will gain invaluable knowledge to better prepare their bodies and minds for the journey that is ahead of them.

The author of this book, Heidi Murkoff, says this;
You’ll find:

*How planning and prepping for pregnancy can not only help you have a healthier pregnancy, a more comfortable pregnancy, a safer delivery, and a healthier baby – it can help you get pregnant faster.

*Why it takes two healthy bodies to make a healthy baby – and why dad’s contribution to that conception is every bit as important as mom’s (he’ll find just-for-him boxes throughout the book that explain how he can get with the preconception program – so he can make the best “contribution” possible).

*How weight, lifestyle, medications (did you know that anthistamines are fertility-unfriendly and that expectorants may give you a fertility boost?),, chronic conditions, eating habits, even dad’s use of a laptop or a hot tub (and maybe even those tighty whities) may weigh on your fertility. .

*How to get your shape in shape for baby making (which exercise routines may put your conception on the fast track, and which may slow your fertility down)

*Fascinating fertility trivia, practical tips, and smart strategies for baby making.

*What to do when you hit a bump in the baby road – an overview of fertility issues and their treatments.

The winner of this giveaway will also win a First Response Early Result Home Pregnancy Test pack and a First Response Ovulation Detection Test pack. I'm proud to say that I consider myself something of an expert on home pregnancy tests. I should probably be ashamed to say that come to think of it. I don't think there's one pregnancy test brand that I haven't used and I always recommend FRER (First Response Early Result). During our IVF cycle I tested with every.other.brand.on.the.market (seriously) and the FRER was the first to give me a positive result. In fact, some of the other brands were still giving me negatives when I was getting clearly defined second lines on the FRERs. Home pregnancy tests aren't cheap and I know there are plenty brands out there that cost less money than First Response, but in my experience, home pregnancy tests definitely fall into the "you get what you pay for" category.

The retail value of this prize is $38.

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::

Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like The Lucky 7 and it will let you link us):

I just entered to win a What to Expect Before You're Expecting & a test package from @The Lucky 7 and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:

NIAW Giveaway # 1: TCOYF Book & BBT Thermometer

2011-04-24T08:00:00.015-04:00

Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great read for any woman, not just those trying to conceive. You will learn about the FAM (fertility awareness method) method of birthday control and be provided charts that you can fill in to get a clear picture of your individual cycle. The author, Toni Weschler, says this;

Fertility Awareness is a remarkable system of knowledge that uses your two basic fertility signs -waking temperature and cervical fluid- to accurately gauge when you are ovulating. Such critical information serves as a window into your cycle, empowering you to practice effective natural birth control or pregnancy achievement, as well as to enlighten you on the entire array of life's menstrual mysteries. Indeed, charting your cycles with FAM will show you, among other things:

The difference between perfectly normal, cyclical cervical secretions and true vaginal infections.
When to expect your next period.
Whether or not you are even ovulating.
Whether or not you are pregnant.
Your true due date, if in fact you are!

The winner of this giveaway will receive "Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by Toni Weschler (Paperback) [product details] and a basal body thermometer by BD Basal [product details]. Retail value of this prize is $25.

How to enter:

::Mandatory 1st Entry::
Comment on this post with your email address

Extra Entries: Do each of the following to earn 1 (one) extra entry each. Make sure to leave separate comments for each. A total of 11 extra entries can be earned in each giveaway.

1. Follow The Lucky 7 via GFC. (link not working? click "follow", page top right)

2. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook

3. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

4. Like the r house couture on Facebook.

5. Follow the r house couture on Twitter.

6. Heart the r house couture shop on Etsy.

7. Like Nature's Design on Facebook.

8. Like RESOLVE on Facebook.

9. Follow RESOLVE on Twitter.

10. Tweet this:

In honor of National #Infertility Awareness Week you can #win awesome prizes @thelucky7blog! http://bit.ly/fqX76D

11. Post this as your Facebook status (Do this after you like The Lucky 7 and it will let you link us) :

I just entered to win TCOYF & a BBT Thermometer from @The Lucky 7 and you can too! Just visit http://bit.ly/fqX76D

The fine print:

This giveaway is open to US Residents who are 18 years of age or older. Comments posted before May 8, 2011 3 pm EST will be eligible to win. A winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email. If the winning entrant did not complete the mandatory first entry by commenting with an email address, a new winner will be selected. The email sent to the winner will request further information (i.e. mailing address), if the winner does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.
Did you know??
This giveaway is just one of seven happening now at The Lucky 7! You could also win:
A Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
OV Watch Ovulation Predictor
A restaurant and cinema gift card
Set of beauty products from Nature's Design
A beautiful necklace from the r house couture
The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility with a BBT thermometer
The book What to Expect Before You're Expecting with an HPT/OPK test package
Be sure to enter while you still can. All giveaways end May 8th at 3 pm EST.

NIAW Mega Giveaway! {Open 4/24/11 to 5/08/11}

2011-04-23T20:53:00.006-04:00

Giveaway # 1 - Taking Charge of Your Fertility Book with BBT Thermometer.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 2 - What to Expect Before You're Expecting Book with Test Pack.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 3 - $20 Movie Gift Certificate and $25 Restaurant Gift Card.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 4 - Beauty Products by Nature's Design.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 5 - Hope & Courage Necklace by the r house couture.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 6 - OV Watch Fertility Predictor.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

Giveaway # 7 - Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor.

::ENTER HERE::

(Giveaway open NOW! Closes May 8, 2011 @ 3 PM EST)

NIAW Giveaway Event!

2011-04-13T11:13:00.003-04:00

April 24th (Giveaway # 1 Prize Value: $25.00) - Just beginning your journey to parenthood? This prize package would be awesome for you! The winner of this giveaway will receive "Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by Toni Weschler (Paperback) [product details] and a basal body thermometer by BD Basal [product details].

April 25th (Giveaway # 2 Prize Value: $38.00) - Are you a POAS addict? If you just read that sentence and didn't have to google "POAS" then you are! No judgement from me. You know, glass houses and all? Give your wallet a break for a month (or in my case a day or two). The winner of this giveaway will receive "What to Expect Before You're Expecting" [Paperback] by Heidi Murkoff [product details] and a test package which includes one box of 3 First Response Early Result Home Pregnancy Tests [product results] and one box of 7 First Response Ovulation Tests [product details].

April 26th (Giveaway # 3 Prize Value: $45.00) - TTC (trying to conceive) is an odd thing. So many conflicting emotions. Excitement and hope can turn to disappointment and confusion in an instant. It's tough on women, it's tough on men, and it can be brutal on a marriage. Taking time to just be the couple you were before you began TTC is so important. The winner of this giveaway will receive a $25 gift card to the restaurant of their choice (restaurant must offer gift cards that can be purchased online or by phone) and two tickets to the movie (& theater) of their choice ($20 maximum). Just one rule. No pregnancy, infertility, or baby talk allowed! (again, if you do, you won't get any judgement from me.)

April 27th (Giveaway # 5 Prize Value: $45.00)- The emotional roller coaster that is infertility takes a toll on your body and your mind. The winner of this giveaway will receive everything she needs for some much needed at home pampering by Nature's Design Beauty Products. At Nature's Design, you can mix and match scents to create your own beauty items, based on your unique beauty goals!

April 28th (Giveaway # 5 Prize Value: $43.00) - A beautiful reminder to never give up and that you can, somehow find strength when it seems you have none left. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the ladies (Kim, Leisha, and Lindsey) who are the r house couture. I spent days reading their blogs and learning more about each of them. They are just beautiful inside and out. Go here to get links so you can meet them too. The winner of this giveaway will receive this gorgeous "Hope & Courage Necklace" by the r house couture on their choice of 16", 18" or 20" sterling silver chain [product details].

April 29th (Giveaway # 6 Prize Value: $125.00) - I never got the chance to try this personally but it gets good reviews and seems so cool. You can read all about how it works at OV Watch's website but basically you just have to wear the watch while you sleep and it will alert you of your 5 most fertile days each month. If you are someone who can never remember to take your basal body temperature until you're already out of bed (i.e. too late) then this sounds perfect. The winner of this giveaway will receive one OV-Watch Fertility Predictor Starter Kit with 1 month supply of sensors [product details].

April 30th (Giveaway # 7 Prize Value: $199.00) - I have lots of friends in the IF (infertility) community who swear by this thing. I definitely won't discredit charting. I did it and it is very helpful, but it can be confusing and it really takes charting for a few months to both get the hang of it and see a pattern. This monitor takes all the guess work out of ovulation prediction. The winner of this giveaway will receive the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor [product details].

:::Click to Enlarge:::

Find New Friends Weekend Hop (My first blog hop!!)

2011-03-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

Rules are simple:

1. Follow Tawna's blog and TWO Co-Hosts through GFC. The second co-host changes weekly so be sure to follow the new co-host if you link up weekly!

Tawna

Co-Host-1 My Journey with Candida

Co-Host-2 The Lucky 7

2. Grab the button and put it in a post or on your sidebar and let us know where it is. This will help the hop grow and gain us all new followers. It's a Win, Win for everyone!

Please play nice and follow our simple rules!

Last rule:
Follow and have fun meeting new and amazing bloggers.

HOP is open from Thursday night at 10pm to Sunday night midnight!

NIAW Sponsor Reveal: the r house couture!

2011-03-13T13:43:00.002-04:00

Kim, Leisha, and Lindsey from the r house couture

The lovely ladies at the r house couture have graciously donated a beautiful necklace to my NIAW giveaway event that begins April 24, 2011! Their work is simple beautiful but when you understand their passion for their art, it becomes something truly special.

See these and MUCH more at the r house courture on Etsy

During National Infertility Awareness Week, Lindsey, Kim, and Leisha of the r house couture are giving you the opportunity to win this:

See this item in the r house couture Etsy shop.

Learn more about Lindsey

Learn more about Kim

Learn more about Leisha

On April 26, 2011 the giveaway for this necklace will begin here on The Lucky 7.

In the meantime, why don't you...

Follow Lindsey's Blog with GFC
Follow Kim's Blog with GFC
Follow Leisha's Blog with GFC
Follow the r house on Facebook
Follow the r house on Twitter
Heart the r house on Etsy

Earn up to TEN extra entries in all of my NIAW giveaways!!

And grab some buttons for your blog!

Earn early extra entries in my NIAW giveaway event!

2011-03-01T11:36:00.008-05:00

::Early Extra Entries are no longer available::

Next month I will be hosting an amazing giveaway event in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. Each day of that week I will post an awesome item. Truly, awesome. So yes, that's SEVEN, great products up for grabs. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet but these 7 prizes have a total retail value of over $550!!

This month you can earn TEN extra entries in every.single.giveaway! Trust me, you're going to want these extra entries. It's easy...

For 3 extra entries grab the NIAW Giveaway Event Button on the right side of this page and display it on your blog. Then comment on this post and say "I earned 3 extra entries by displaying the NIAW Button on my blog: www._____________________.com".

For 3 extra entries post this as your Facebook status "I just earned 3 extra entries in @The Lucky 7's NIAW Giveaway Event. You can earn them too by visiting http://bit.ly/i8lvVM" Then comment on this post and say "I earned 3 extra entries by posting on Facebook"

For 3 extra entries write a blog post about this event and link to this post. You could say:

Next month The Lucky 7 will be hosting an amazing giveaway event in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. Each day of that week an awesome item will be given away. Truly, awesome. So yes, that's SEVEN, great products up for grabs. These 7 prizes have a total retail value of over $550!! Earn extra entries today by visiting http://bit.ly/i8lvVM"

Then comment on this post and say "I earned 3 extra entries by posting about this giveaway on my blog, see it here _____(link your post)____"

For 1 extra entry refer one facebook friend to The Lucky 7 on Facebook. Then comment on this post and say "I earned 1 extra entry by referring my friend _________ (only need first name) to The Lucky 7 on Facebook"

Want to see what I'll be giving away during National Infertility Awareness Week? Check it out here.

To earn these extra entries you must do the above and

comment on THIS post before April 15th (that's an easy

to remember deadline day, right?) 11:59 pm EST.

Ideal No Calorie Sweeteners WINNER:

2011-02-24T15:16:00.004-05:00

Congratulations, Rita from www.measmom.com! You have won a free package of Ideal No Calorie Sweetener and Ideal No Calorie Brown. I will send you an email shortly and ask for your mailing address, just reply and your prize will be on its way!

Random.org selected comment number 23 out of 112 comments.

Rita won this giveaway with the following comment:

Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

Last Chance!

2011-02-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

There are only 4 items left in the "Ada's Closet Sale"! So far we have raised $187 for baby Anton in this small fundraiser alone. Here are the last items available. These are Gymboree and The Children's Place brands and are all in great condition! The striped sweater (pic # 3) and leggings with top (pic # 1) were each only worn once! If you would like to buy any of this just comment on this post and give me your paypal email address and I will send an invoice. I am covering the shipping so 100% of the money you spend on these clothes will be donated directly to Reece's Rainbow in baby Anton's name. See this post for details on this fundraiser.

"Ada's Closet Sale" (to benefit baby Anton)

2011-02-16T14:53:00.000-05:00

Source

This is my first, but certainly not my last, fundraising effort for a precious baby boy named Anton.

Anton and his twin brother were born via surrogate on January 16, 2010 in Russia. On the day of their birth, pictures were sent to the biological parents, who do not live in Russia. Upon seeing that one twin was healthy and the other was covered in blisters, the biological parents took only the healthy twin and left Anton in the hospital. Where he remains. Anton has since been diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa and is in desperate need of help. If Anton isn't adopted he will soon be sent to an orphanage where he will not be able to receive the type of medical care he needs. Anton needs a home. Desperately. Around the "blogosphere" money is being raised to help pay for Anton's medical needs and to help the adopting family cover the costs involved.

Reece's Rainbow, an international ministry dedicated to placing orphans with special needs in loving forever homes, is collecting money. So is Hope for Anton (started by Jonah's Mommy, Patrice. Jonah also has EB). And a website called Help Anton Find Home has been set up to spread the word and try to locate a loving family who can adopt this precious baby.

I know that when you look something this big in the face it seems like the little bit of help you could offer is just a drop in the bucket, so "why bother"? But if every single person who feels that way just donated $5. It would make a huge difference. I have 224 followers on this blog. If one of them donates $5, it won't change much. If all of them donate $5, and if all of Patrice's followers donate $5, and if they share this link with their Facebook friends, and they all donate $5. Just think.

Tonight on The Lucky 7 Facebook Fan Page I will be having an "Ada's closet sale"with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit Anton. I have over 30 pieces of Ada's outgrown clothing for sale. Every single piece is in excellent condition and from either Gymboree, Baby Gap, Old Navy, or The Children's Place. I will post pictures with the price in the description. The price will include shipping (US addresses only, please).

To buy an item...
1. Go to www.facebook.com/thelucky7blog and click "LIKE" (if you don't already).
2. Then go to the Ada's Closet Sale photo album and simply comment on the picture of the item you want to buy with your paypal email address.
3. You will receive an invoice at that email address, pay through paypal.
4. The sold items will be sent via USPS no later than Tuesday (2/22/11) morning.

Invoices must be paid by Monday, February 21st or the item will be re-listed.

THANK YOU THANK YOU! And stay tuned for more opportunities to help baby Anton! ♥

NIAW Giveaway Event!

2011-02-15T17:09:00.004-05:00

Next month I will be hosting an amazing giveaway event in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. Each day of that week I will post an awesome item. Truly, awesome. So yes, that's SEVEN, great products up for grabs. These 7 prizes have a total retail value of over $550!!

During the month of March I will be revealing the sponsors one by one. Please stay tuned to see what you could win!

And in the meantime...
Earn early extra entries in my NIAW giveaway event!

I will be announcing my sponsors throughout the month. My first sponsor has already been announced. Check out the first of 7 awesome prizes up for grabs!

Ideal No Calorie Sweetener Review & Giveaway!

2011-02-14T13:50:00.010-05:00

Have I mentioned this week that I'm low carb dieting? If I did, I probably also mentioned that I hate it. I've been seeing a nutritionist and weight loss doctor since June and have lost 35 lbs. It's not a difficult meal plan. Not if you like to eat anything other than pasta, potatoes, bread, and chips. It's been rough
for me though. I am always trying to find ways to cheat without really cheating. And even though Russel doesn't low carb diet, he does try to avoid foods with added sugar and since he has a major sweet tooth, I have to try to come up with recipes that will satisfy that craving for sweets without adding tons of sugar and calories. So over the past couple years I've experimented with just about every sugar substitute on the market.

This past holiday season my sister wanted peanut butter fudge. Problem was, she doesn't eat sugar and some of the leading sugar substitutes give her a headache. I was really stumped since peanut butter fudge is mostly powdered sugar. I was so excited when I saw a new product in my grocery store. Ideal Low Calorie Confectionery Sweetener!! So far, it's the only low caloire/reduced carb sweetener that I've seen in the grocery stores around here that offers a confectionery variety. I made the fudge and my sister loved it, and no headache!

Recently I was given the opportunity to review the granulated white and brown sugar varieties of Ideal No Calorie Sweetener. I spent the weekend working on a few new recipes and was very impressed. Find the recipes for these yummy treats linked below each picture.

Ideal worked just like sugar in all of my recipes. I was really shocked by how well the fudge turned out since candy making can be tricky. It really was the crowd favorite though and was gobbled up quickly.

And be sure not to skip the Ideal rim garnish if you make the Strawberry Lemon Freeze! Some no calorie sweeteners do leave a bit of a bitter aftertaste but not Ideal. I drank this drink from the glass and the Ideal garnish on the rim was as tasty as it was pretty!

Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe HERE.

Cranberry Orange Cake with Glaze Recipe HERE.

Strawberry Lemon Freeze Recipe HERE.

Strawberry Vanilla Pudding Dessert Recipe HERE.

Want to try Ideal Sweeteners for FREE?

The makers of Ideal have generously offered to allow one of my readers to try Ideal No Calorie Sweeteners for FREE! They will send the winner of this giveaway a 10.6 oz bag of Ideal No Calorie Sweetener and a 10.6 oz bag of Ideal No Calorie Sweetener Brown. You've got TEN chances to win!

How to enter:

Mandatory entry: comment on this post with your email address (other entries will not count unless this is done)

Earn 1 (one) additional entry for doing each of the following, be sure to leave separate comments for each. If you already do any of the following, that counts too, just leave a comment and tell me so.

1. Like Ideal Sweeteners on Facebook.

2. Follow Ideal Sweeteners on Twitter.

3. Subscribe to Ideal Sweetener's Blog.

4. Subscribe to Ideal Sweetener's YouTube Channel.

5. Post a link to this giveaway in your Facebook status.

6. Follow this blog. Just go to top right of this page and click "FOLLOW".

7. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook.

8. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter.

9. Tweet this and leave a link:
Delicious new @Ideal_Sweetener recipes just posted on The Lucky 7! And the chance to #win Ideal Products for yourself! http://bit.ly/g97Z51

This giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway Ends: February 24, 2011 at 9 am EST.

Can't wait to try Ideal?

Buy Ideal No Calorie Sweetener online at

Amazon, Netrition, and The Low Carb Connoisseur.

Print a $1.00 off coupon for in-store use.

**I received Ideal products from Heartland Sweeteners for this product review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and not influenced in any way by the manufacturers of this product.

Strawberry Vanilla Pudding Dessert (Made with Ideal No Calorie Sweeteners)

2011-02-12T12:53:00.001-05:00

Yields: 2 servings

Calories Per Serving: 566

Fat Per Serving: 40

Net Carbs Per Serving: 50

Making this dessert with

Ideal Confectionery Sweetener saves you 118 calories & 26 net carbs

PER SERVING versus making it with sugar!

You'll Need:
2 Jell-O Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding Cups
1/2 C Whole Almonds
1/4 C Chopped Walnuts
1/8 C Ideal No Calorie Brown Sweetener
1/8 C Ideal No Calorie Sweetener
1/8 C Sugar Free Imitation Honey (not pictured)
1 t Strawberry Extract
5 Large Strawberries
Whipped Cream (pressurized)

Start by making the crunchy bottom for this dessert. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the nuts, sweeteners, strawberry extract, and honey (pop the bottle in the microwave for 15 seconds to get it flowing). Pour this into a butter pie pan and stick in the oven. This will only take about 10 minutes. When it comes out BE CAREUFL the bubbling honey will be SUPER SUPER SUPER HOT! Pour the nuts onto a sheet of butter wax paper to cool.

For the pudding, puree 4 large strawberries and add to a mixing bowl. Fold the pudding cups into this puree and set aside.

Once the nuts have cooled, break them apart with your hands and add to the bottom of your dessert dishes. Spoon the pudding mixture on top, add a little whipped cream, and use your last strawberry to add a little garnish.

Enjoy!

See my review of Ideal Low Calorie and No Calorie Sweeteners here.

Cranberry Orange Cake with Orange Glaze (Made with Ideal No Calorie Sweetener)

2011-02-12T12:52:00.002-05:00

Yields: 12 servings

Calories Per Serving: 292

Fat Per Serving: 15

Net Carbs Per Serving: 32

Making this cake and glaze with

Ideal Sweeteners saves you 153 calories & 41 net carbs

PER SERVING versus making it with sugar!

You'll Need (for the glaze):

1 1/2 C Ideal Confectionery Sweetener

1 Large Orange

This could not be easier. Just put the Ideal Confectionery Sweetener in a mixing bowl, zest the entire orange over top, and squeeze all of the juice from the orange and whisk together. Once it's ready, stick it in the fridge while the cake bakes and cools.

You'll Need (for the cake):

2 C Self Rising Flour

2 Sticks Softened Butter

1/3 C Vegetable Oil

2 1/4 C Ideal No Calorie Sweetener

4 Eggs

2/3 C Dried Cranberries

1 Large Orange

Add the Ideal Sweetener, butter, and zest of the second orange to a large mixing bowl.

Mix on a medium speed until it looks like this. Kinda looks like scrambled eggs to me.

Add the eggs and mix on medium until combined, then add the flour and oil. Mix until combined. If the batter is a little too thick, squeeze a bit of the juice from the orange over it. This is a thicker than usual batter though. Somewhere between a dough and batter, I guess. Once the batter is combined, fold in the cranberries. Place in a buttered loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for a little over an hour.

Let the cake cool before slicing. Use a spoon or pastry bag to top with glaze after slicing.

Enjoy!

See my review of Ideal Low Calorie and No Calorie Sweeteners here.

Peanut Butter Fudge (Made with Ideal Low Calorie Confectionery Sweetener)

2011-02-12T11:25:00.004-05:00

Yields: 21 servings

Calories Per Serving: 148

Fat Per Serving: 10

Net Carbs Per Serving: 6

Making this fudge with

Ideal Confectionery Sweetener saves you 5 calories & 6 net carbs

PER SERVING versus making it with sugar!

You'll Need:

2 1/4 C Ideal Low Calorie Confectionery Sweetener

3/4 C Creamy Peanut Butter

3/4 C Unsalted Butter

3/4 t Vanilla Extract

I've always been afraid to try fudge recipes because it seems like such a science and one small error can ruin it. This, however, could not be easier! I didn't even use a candy thermometer! You do need to be pretty quick so I didn't pause to take pictures but it's super simple.

Rub a little butter in the dish you'll put the peanut butter fudge in to cool and set aside. Put the butter and peanut butter in a pot and put on medium heat. Stir often. Once the melted mixture starts to bubble, remove from the stove and pour in the Idea Confectionery Sweetener and vanilla extract, place back on the stove and stir continuously until it begins to bubble again. Pour in to the dish you buttered earlier.

Place in the fridge. It will set up within an hour or so but if you can, let it sit in the fridge overnight. It will have a much better consistency.

Enjoy!

See my review of Ideal Low Calorie and No Calorie Sweeteners here.

Strawberry Lemon Freeze (Made with Ideal No Calorie Sweetener)

2011-02-12T09:33:00.004-05:00

Yields: 2 Servings

Calories Per Serving: 31

Fat Per Serving: 0

Net Carbs Per Serving: 14

Making this drink with

Ideal Sweetener saves you 66 calories & 25 net carbs

PER SERVING versus making it with sugar!

You'll Need:

10 medium to large strawberries

1 large lemon

2 C ice cubes

1/4 C Ideal No Calorie Sweetener

1 t vanilla extract

Peel a small strip around the bottom of the lemon to use as garnish.

Add the ice to the blender and zest the entire lemon right on top of it.

Roughly chop the strawberries and add to the blender. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth.

Rub the lemon around the rim of the glass so the Ideal has something to stick to, dip the rim of the glass in Ideal No Calorie Sweetener.

Enjoy!

See my review of Ideal Low Calorie and No Calorie Sweeteners here.

Meet Me on Monday!

2011-02-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is my first time participating in the "Meet Me on Monday" blog hop hosted by "Java" over at Never Growing Old.
Every Sunday Never Growing Old will post five get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!

Questions:

1. Did you watch the Superbowl?
2. What is the last book that you read?
3. What is your favorite kind of cake?
4. Do you snore?
5. Do you play an instrument?

1. Did you watch the Superbowl?
Not really. Russel husband did. He's a lifelong Steelers fan, otherwise he may not have watched either. I only looked up from my computer for the commercials. My FAVORITE? This one. Because we have all had those heart stopping moments when we thought we hit "reply all".

2. What is the last book you read?
I read every night. It's about the only thing that gets my brain to shift out of overdrive. I read the entire Alex Cross series by James Patterson and LOVED it. Right now I'm halfway through Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. This is my first time reading a Harry Potter book and I'm only doing it now because I can't possibly wait until July to find out how it all ends. I learned a lesson though. The book IS better than the movie. Who knew, right? I think after I'm done with this I'm going to start with book 1.

3. What is your favorite kind of cake?

Oh, this is an easy one. For sure, without a doubt, cranberry orange pound cake. YUM!! Why haven't I written a recipe for this??? Oh yeah, that's right, because I'd eat the entire thing!

4. Do you snore?

I did when I was pregnant. So bad that Russel took to wearing shooting range headphones to bed! I sorta felt bad for him but compared to what I was going through, you know a child's head in my ribcage, it didn't seem so bad. Me 27 weeks pregnant with my little wrong side up baby.

5. Do you play an instrument?

No! I have absolutely no musical ability whatsoever. So little so, I can't even think of a picture for this one.

**If you follow my blog through this hop, please leave a comment so I can follow you back**

Now that you've learned a little about me, hop around and learn more about some other awesome bloggers!

Who has been by your side?

2011-01-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Last Fall I worked with RESOLVE for the first time to help raise awareness about embryo donation. If you didn't catch that post, check it out here. I just finished another awareness project for RESOLVE called "Who's been by your side?".

It's difficult to explain the cycle of excitement, hope, fear, disappointment, anger, and sadness that accompany infertility to someone who's never experienced it. Finding support from people who truly understand is so important. Watch my video tribute to my infertility support system below and then check out the links I've provided to begin the search for your own support community!

If you're struggling with infertility, please don't face it alone. Below are just a few online communities that can offer friendship, knowledge, and support.

TTC via Invitrofertilization (IVF)

TTC via Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

TTC via Injectibles

TTC with Male-Factor Infertility

TTC with Clomid

TTC via Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

Building our family through Adoption and other Options

The most important thing a great support system provides during any struggle is HOPE.

Many people will visit this post from the RESOLVE site, MyDestinationFamily.org. If you have beaten infertility, please share your story in the comments section below. If you're still struggling to beat infertility, share your support for others going through the same. Let them know the ways you have found to handle the roller coaster of emotions we go through. If you have questions, please post them in the comments section as well. I will share this post with all of the wonderful friends that I have made during my own struggle with infertility. They are so knowledgeable. I promise someone will have information for you. I am enabling anonymous commenting for this post, so post without using your real name if you'd feel more comfortable.

Go to RESOVLE - By My Side to recognize those who have supported you.

Valentine's Day dessert for 2

2011-01-23T14:09:00.000-05:00

I was originally going to call this recipe the "Apple of my Eye" but when I said that to the apple of my eye, Russel, his eyes nearly rolled out of his head. So, even though I am proud of my cheesiness, I'll spare the rest of you just this once.

If you're making a nice romantic meal for the apple of your eye (see, I can't stop myself!) this Valentine's Day, take the easy way out on dessert. Don't worry, it still looks like you worked hard and tastes delicious.

You'll Need:
3 large apples (I used braeburn)
3/4 C chopped walnuts
1/2 C packed dark brown sugar
1/4 C granulated sugar
4 T butter
Caramel Fudge Topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the bottoms off of two of the apples so they'll sit up in the pan, then slice off about an inch off the tops.

Remove the inside of the two apples. I scored the apple by just slicing into in a couple of x patterns, then I was able to scoop out the pieces with a spoon.

Peel, core, and finely chop the third apple and combine with nuts, sugars, and butter in a mixing bowl. I just used my hands to toss this together.

Place the apples in a greased pie pan (or something at least an inch deep) and spoon in the filling.

Bake about 15 - 20 minutes. The apple skin will just begin to pucker in spots and feel soft to the touch. BE CAREFUL! The syrup that accumulates in the bottom of the pan is SUPER SUPER HOT and will burn and stick to your skin.

Just before you pull them out of the oven, spoon a bit of the caramel topping on to two dessert plates. When the apples come out of the oven, carefully sit them on top of the caramel, then top with another spoonful of caramel.

ENJOY! And ♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! ♥

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken & Rice

2011-01-02T16:11:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite gifts this past Christmas was a new crock pot from my Mom. I've tried two new recipes with it this week and was surprised by how easy and tasty both turned out to be. First I tried pot roast. I didn't blog that one because I didn't write it, just snagged one of the internet. And then, this chicken dish, which I did write. I was a little nervous using rice in a crock pot since I'd never done it before but it came out just fine.

Considering how much food this recipe makes, it's a great bargain. I made this just for Russel since I don't eat rice (thanks to my low-carb diet) and froze all of the leftovers in individual containers. It'll make a great 10 minute dinner any night of the week. You could also add any peppers you like and even change up the meat to beef or pork.

The best part about this dish is that it takes about 10 minutes to prepare! You could easily toss this together in the morning and have a great dinner waiting for you at the end of the day.

You'll Need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 C chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 C parboiled rice (found in regular grocery stores with all the other rice)

1/2 large white onion sliced

1 (24 oz) jar of chunky salsa

1 (15 oz) can of whole black beans

1 (4.5 oz) can of green chiles

1 package of taco seasoning (I used McCormick's Chicken Taco)

Pour the chicken stock, rice, salsa, chiles, and half the packet of seasoning into the crock pot and stir with a wooden spoon. Slice half of a large white onion and add to the pot.

Rub the other half of the seasoning packet on the chicken breasts, then add them to the pot.

Turn the crock pot on and let it go! I was going to be home while I cooked mine so I used a high setting for about 3 hours. You could do low for about 5-6 hours though. About 20-30 minutes before you serve just pull out the chicken and slice it, then add the beans (drain them first) and stir and turn the crock pot off or set it to "warm". If it's thicker than you'd like, just splash in a little more chicken stock and stir it in well.

This is definitely a meal all it's own but you could certainly serve it with some delicious bread or chips. You could also wrap it in a tortilla and have yourself a quick burrito with the left overs later in the week.

Win a set of custom calling cards!

2010-12-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

Lindsay over at Lindsay Blogs is giving away a set of my custom designed calling cards! These are perfect for Moms and Mommy Bloggers alike. A great way to quickly, effectively, and easily share contact info with other Moms at play dates or parties. Or use these to professionally present your site at conferences or in sponsorship letters. These cards will be designed to match your style or your site. You have complete control of the final product. I will work until you simply love the design!

Only 48 hours left to enter to win 250 custom designed cards with rush shipping!

Click here to enter now!

And make sure to check Lindsay out on Facebook & Twitter.

Winner: iPod Shuffle, $50 Gymboree Gift Card, or {100} Custom Holiday Cards

2010-12-16T13:01:00.001-05:00

I know several of you are very interested in the results of this one so I won't ramble, I'll get straight to it :)

Please email me within 48 hours and let me know which prize you would like!

Random.org chose comment # 154

That comment was submitted by Sarah B (sboling79@gmail.com)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who entered!

Giveaway: Winner's Choice - iPod Shuffle, Gymboree Gift Card, or Free Custom Holiday Cards!

2010-12-15T14:13:00.005-05:00

::::Contest Closed::::

Winner will be chosen within the hour!

This is my biggest giveaway to date and it lasts less than 24 hours so get those entries in while you can!

At 12 (noon) EST December 16, 2010 (that's tomorrow) I'll be giving one lucky reader their choice of one of the following awesome prizes:

Apple iPod Shuffle - 2GB 4th Generation, your choice of green, blue, or orange. (Get it in time for Christmas!)

$50 Gymboree Gift Card! They have tons of deals, FREE shipping on ANY order, and Gymbucks earning, all going on now!

{100} Custom Designed 4 x 8 Holiday Photo Cards with FREE UPS Next Day Air shipping (finalize your order tomorrow and have them on your doorstep by Monday! I will substitute a $50 Lucky 7 Designs Gift Certificate at the winner's request.)

I am hosting this giveaway in conjunction with No More Rack's referral promotion. Each day www.nomorerack.com posts a handful of AWESOME deals. There are limited quantities and only available for one day. Go check them out!

:::::HOW TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:::::

MANDATORY FIRST ENTRY: Go to http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=43012 and register (it's easy, takes 2 seconds), then come back to this post and tell me that you did. Please leave your email address.

For one extra entry - Like NoMoreRack on Facebook.

For one extra entry - Tweet this giveaway. Sample Tweet: Win an Apple iPod Shuffle, Gymboree GC, or Lucky 7 Designs custom card package. LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO ENTER! http://bit.ly/gBjMF1

For one extra entry - Post this as your Facebook status: Win an iPod Shuffle, $50 Gymboree GC, or
Custom Designed Holiday Cards w/ free Next Day Air shipping at The Lucky 7. Less than 24 hours to enter! http://bit.ly/gBjMF1

For one extra entry - Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook.

The Lucky 7 is the host and sponsor of this giveaway.

I have not been compensated in any way by Apple, Gymboree, or www.nomorerack.com.

At 12:00 pm EST December 16, 2010 a winner will be selected using random.org.

The winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Have fun & GOOD LUCK!

Winner: Personalized Mom Necklace by Oak Hill Designs

2010-12-11T11:29:00.002-05:00

I have just sent you an email with details about claiming your prize.

Random.org selected comment number 149 of 155.

Leah won this giveaway with the following comment:

Better Not Pout - Take 2

2010-12-06T13:14:00.001-05:00

Ada is in a photo contest! I posted about this last week but I misunderstood the rules. Last week was the entry period but this week is the actual voting. Ada did get the most Facebook likes on her picture so hopefully everyone who liked the photo will vote as well :) Just click here to vote! You don't need to enter any personal info. Here's the photo you'll be voting for... we call it, "Nothing for Christmas" :)

I'm beautiful.

2010-12-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

When you become a parent, "me time" takes on a whole new meaning. Back before Ada "me time" was a long hot bubble bath, a manicure, or curling up on the couch and watching a favorite movie, and those were pretty regular occurrences. And even though, thanks to an amazing husband, I still do all of those things from time to time, I've also had to learn to appreciate quiet time in other, less obvious forms. Running errands on the weekends used to be just an ordinary chore, but now it's a chance to relax in the car and listen to music. Most often, a trip to the grocery store turns into a private worship service. Today I had a few extra stops during my weekly grocery trip so I had extra time in the car. I must have listened to this same song 10 times. Maybe more. It's an amazing song regardless but if you can relate, it's very powerful. It's called "Beautiful" and it's by a band called MercyMe.

There was a time in my life when the lines, "Days will come when you don't have the strength. When all you hear is, 'you're not worth anything' Wondering if you ever could be loved. And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much", could have been written about me. I look back at those days (years, really) and I can barely believe it was me that lived that life. God's grace really is amazing. It allows us to put to death a life of heartache, pain, rejection, failure, and fear and gives birth to a life full of love, support, peace, comfort, and happiness. I grew up believing in God but not ever really going to church. As a young adult I strayed so far from God. It breaks my heart to think of that now. By no coincidence my life was pretty much miserable during those years. I was so so very alone, even when surrounded by friends and family. It was the kind of loneliness that physically hurts. Aches.

Meeting Russel was the first in a long line of blessings. We met toward the end of 2005. Earlier that year I'd come to the conclusion that I had made a mess of my life. I was no where near where I thought I'd be and no matter how hard I tried I did nothing but get farther from all of my goals. I knew there was only one answer. For the first, probably in my life, I made the right decision. I asked for guidance and I started listening when it came. About 6 months after we were married (which was just 10 months after we'd started dating) we started attending church again. Over three years later, I still never make it through an entire service without tears, but for those first few weeks I would stand during the worship music and a steady stream of tears flowed down my face. It was a lifetime of hurt pouring out. And relief too, I think.

On April 4, 2010 I was baptized in a chilly pond behind the church we attend. There were hundreds of other people baptized that day and even more sitting on the banks to support us. Walking back up that hill, soaking wet, was one of the best moments of my life. People I'd never met reached and said such kind things, offered so much support. It was the first day of my life. A life that can better be described by the lines, "You're beautiful. You were made for so much more than all of this. You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His. You're beautiful."

The entire song is, well, beautiful but there is one part that makes me emotional, without fail. "Before you ever took a breathe. Long before the world began.Of all the wonders he possessed there was one more precious. Of all the earth and skies above, you're the one He madly loves enough to die!"This knowledge has the opposite affect of that physical ache caused by the loneliness in my old life. It's a comfort and peace that I can also physically feel. It's warmth. It's life.

I'm beautiful. And so are you.

Better Not Pout

2010-11-28T21:19:00.003-05:00

I did Ada's Christmas pictures last weekend and even though the photographic evidence is pretty incriminating, it went amazingly well. So much better than last year! She was happy the whole time, laughing, saying "cooool" every time I brought out a new prop, and she thought her Daddy was super "cooool" dressed like "Tanta". Everyone who has seen the pictures has gone on and on about a particular one so I had to share the funny story.

It was one of the very first shots of the day. Ada had just come out of her room and our living room turned makeshift photography studio was just way too interesting for her to listen to one word we said. She would not stand on the paper or get near Russel. She wanted to play with props and swipe lens caps and batteries off the couch instead. Finally, Russel took a little silver bell (a Christmas ornament) and started to ring it. Ada loves bells so she ran right over. I snapped a quick shot and took a look only to realize I had way underexposed. So I quickly tried to adjust the settings. I snapped a couple pics without even really looking, just to check my lighting. While I was doing this Ada wanted the bell but her Daddy told her "no". He then started to adjust the pillow under his coat for the next shot while Ada walked away.

I had no idea I had gotten this shot until we were all done and I uploaded them to my computer. I was shocked that I caught the expression but even more shocked that it wasn't terribly under or over exposed and was pretty much in focus. At least well enough. It was such a hit with the few people we shared it with that I reworked our Christmas card design in order to use it.

It's been so popular among friends and family that I actually even entered it in the Parents Magazine "Spooked by Santa Photo Contest". Go vote for her if you like, you don't have to register or enter your email or any info, all you do is just click here, then on the right side of her pic, click "I like this".

So without further ado... I give you... "Nothing for Christmas"

::Click to enlarge::

Winner: {50} Custom Holiday Photo Cards

2010-11-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

I just sent you an email. I can't wait to get started on your design!

Brooke was randomly selected using www.random.org

Here's Brooke's winning comment:

And to say thanks for making this my most successful giveaway yet, I'm making all of you winners too!! Please use code SHIPFREE on all holiday card orders at Lucky 7 Designs and enjoy FREE UPS 2 Day Air shipping for the rest of November!!!

Coupon expires Monday, November 30, 2010

My Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T07:33:00.000-05:00

Once again I'm seeing the daily thanksgiving of my friends on Facebook, and once again I've decided to spare all of you the daily boredom by just drafting this all month long and posting it on Thanksgiving Day.

I know that I have so very much to be thankful for and I am truly grateful every single day of my life. I mentioned this is in My Thanksgiving 2009 post but it's still true, at least once a day I look around and just think "wow". How did I get here? How could I have been so blessed? I really do have everything I've always dreamed of and I never want to take any of it for granted.

Reading over my list from 2009 I realize that so many of these things are on that list too. Wow, I sure am glad to know that somethings never change. ♥

I am thankful...

November 1 - ...that it's November!! This is my absolute favorite part of the year!

November 2 - ...that I don't have morning sickness. This is obviously because I'm not pregnant but I can't help but think of this every election day. The presidential election day 2008 was one of my most horrid days of morning sickness, and believe me, that's saying something. It was absolutely awful. I didn't even vote! I actually didn't even get off the couch!

November 3 - ...that I have a husband who is so supportive. He's allowed me to realize so many dreams. Two of the biggest - staying at home with Ada and starting my own business from home. My new website should be going live any day now. I have him to thank for everything.

November 4 - ...for the time that God has given me with my family. For the rest of my life I'll always remember my friend Rachel on November 4th. She was a close childhood friend. We went to school together from kindergarten all the way to senior year. She was killed in a car accident the year after graduation. Such a beautiful life, at every new milestone in my life since then I'm reminded how much she was forced to miss. Marriage, parenthood, just to name the big ones. Today is her birthday.

November 5 - ...Amazon Prime. Best $70 I ever spent. I buy a ton from Amazon and the shipping can be outrageous, so this year I decided to try amazon prime. You pay around $70 once a year and get free 2 day shipping on everything (well, not every single thing is available on prime but I've yet to want or need something that wasn't. Basically anything you can imagine is on prime.) I have saved hundreds in shipping this year and the great part is that if I order something today it is on my doorstep in two days. Love it!!

November 6 - ...for Daddy/Daughter Saturdays. By Saturday morning I am usually beat from a long week of taking care of a toddler, working from home, and then of course there are these four crazy animals. Ada has so much fun going places with Daddy so it's great to get a break and now that Russel and Ada are having a great time together.

November 7 - ...that I have this blog! I would never have imagined how addictive blogging could be. I am so grateful that I started it when I did. I often go back through and read the posts from our IVF cycle, those last few weeks of pregnancy, those first few weeks of parenthood. I am so happy that I've got all of that written down. I hope that having those memories "on paper" one day means as much to Ada as it does to me.

November 8 - ...that I managed to keep Ada somewhat happy during the afternoon and got her to stay awake until 6 pm when she would probably have rather gone to bed at about 5 pm!

November 9 - ...that I had a great weigh-in/check up with my doctor! I've been losing only about a pound or 2 at the last 3 visits but this time I seem to have FINALLY gotten off that plateau! I have lost 6.4 lbs since October 25th, that's two weeks! =)

November 10 - ...that Russel came to see Ada at gymnastics today. When she saw him through the glass she starting whispering "da da, da da, da da". She loves her Daddy so much. I know someday she'll know how lucky she is to be his daughter but I don't think she'll ever fully understand how much he loves her. Well, maybe she will, when she becomes a parent. ♥

November 11 - ...that Russel has a great job and works so hard to provide a comfortable life for Ada and I. And that for today, he's not at that job, he's home with us! ♥ Happy Veteran's Day everyone!

November 12 - ...for a wonderful, quiet evening with my husband. The dogs were outside in the backyard almost the entire day so when they came in after dark they were nice and tired which equals nice and quiet. I made a nice dinner for Russel and I and Ada went straight to sleep at 6:30 pm. We ate dinner, talked, and then curled up on the couch. Russel watched a movie while I read a book. Perfect. ♥

November 13 - ...for the motivation to FINALLY get the guest room cleaned out and ready for hardwood flooring, moving a ton of baby stuff to the attic, packing up a ton of baby toys to give to a friend, and getting the Christmas stuff down from the attic. I don't think we've been this productive on "house stuff" in months!

November 14 - ...that I can see my closet floor! All of it! I have enough clothes for about 100 people and I am horrible about hanging them up so my closet if a disaster. I think it makes Russel a little sick to even look in there. His closet looks like a department store. Everything folded, categorized, etc. I finally got sick of never being able to find anything so I tore it apart. Washed what I'm keeping (that poor machine has had a break all day) bagged up about half to send to Goodwill, and threw out tons of broken shoes, and clothes with holes or stains. I have been more productive this weekend than in the last 2 years combined!

November 15 - ...that I am wearing a pair of jeans I haven't been able to fit into for FOUR YEARS! I've lost 32.2 lbs.

November 16 - ...that Christmas music will soon be on the radio! This is the official start of the wonderful holiday season for me. I can't believe it when I hear people complain about holiday decorations or music starting too early, it could never be too early for me!

November 17 - ...every time I see the way Ada's eyes light up when she spots her Daddy unexpectedly. He stopped by gymnastics today. We didn't know he was coming. When Ada saw him her whole face lit up. She loves him as much as I do and that's a ♥ LOT ♥

November 18 - ...that I'm learning to improvise as a Mommy. Today I changed Ada's dirty diaper while she stood up in the restroom at the library. She refused to lay on the diaper station or in the floor on her changing pad. This doesn't really surprise me considering her father has never let his bare feet touch the floor in a hotel and takes a laundry bag to cover the pillow.

November 19 - ...that Russel is home with us today. Even though he's busy working on the hardwood floor in the playroom, I still like having him close :)

November 20 - ...Dreamfield's Pasta. There is debate over whether or not it's acceptable for a low carb diet. All I know is, I can eat it and still lose weight. It gives me my pasta fix and for that I'm SO grateful!

November 21 - ...that I married such a handy man :) He's saved us THOUSANDS of dollars by doing work himself. He's replaced our sink, dishwasher, made Ada a solid wood bookshelf, put hardwood floor all over our house, and installed a dehumidifier under our house in the last 3 years. He's spent the entire day putting hardwood in Ada's playroom. He's a keeper!

November 22 - ...that Ada is starting to act more and more like a kid instead of a baby. Part of this really makes me sad. It's amazing how fast they grow up. People tell you but you just can't imagine. Even though each time she grows out of something it breaks my heart a little, it also makes life a lot easier. And she and I have so much fun together now. She's now doing SO much better about riding in the car. She has hated it up until very recently. It's great to be able to get out and about with her.

November 23 - ...that Ada loves her Grandpa & Mamaw so much. She loves going to visit them and puts on such a show for them.

November 24 - ...that Ada finds anything she's never seen before fun and entertaining. I made 3 batches of stuffing this morning while she sat in the lid to the roasting pan.

November 25 - ...for family, the chance to make wonderful memories, and great food! Today is Thanksgiving, a day I look forward to all year long. Looking back over this list, and the list from last year I realize just how blessed I really am. God has been so very good to me. Even in bad, dark times in my life, He was there. I thank God for every single thing in my life and taking the chance to really be grateful every single day just reminds me how many blessings I've received. I have a husband that is better than I ever could have hoped for. He's loving, supportive, caring, hard working, faithful, loyal, respectful, and thoughtful. Just about every word that describes good and decent, he is. I have a daughter who is the light of my life. A walking, talking reminder that miracles do happen. My life is so very good, and I am so very Thankful.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving...

(Quick, Cheap, Simple, & Delicious) Thanksgiving Dressing

2010-11-24T11:53:00.001-05:00

I look forward to Thanksgiving each year for so many reasons. I really think it might be my very favorite holiday. Christmas is a close second, if not a tie. I love spending time with family, especially those we get to see so rarely. I love packing everything up and making that trip "back home". I love the cool, crisp weather. And although all of those things are more than enough reason to love Thanksgiving, I must admit, there's something else I look forward to all year long. DRESSING! I mean, how could I not? It's bread, onions, butter, and spices. Seriously, I could live on this stuff!

I guess you could say this is a family recipe. It's the way my Mom always made it when we were kids. I don't know if my spices or amounts of other ingredients are the same but it's definitely very close, and the method's the same.

Maybe it's just the fact that I ~~obsess over~~ responsibly enjoy bread, but I think this is pretty delicious!! And it couldn't be easier or cheaper! You could make enough for 8-12 people for around $10 if you buy store brand stuff. This recipe makes a huge roasting pan full, so if you've got a small family to feed you might want to cut it in half.

You'll Need:
3 loaves of white bread. Just get whatever is on sale and cheapest.
2 1/2 sticks of butter
2/3 C dried chopped onions
3 eggs
1 3/4 C Chicken Stock (or canned broth, it's a lot cheaper and works too)
3 T italian seasoning
3 T ground sage (I ran out at 2 T so I added 1 T of poultry seasoning)
A sprinkle of thyme (not a huge deal if you don't have it)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the butter on onions in a pan over medium heat and simmer until the onions have softened up.

In a large (actually huge, if you have it) bowl, tear the bread into small pieces with your hands. Then throw in all the spices and mix with your hands. Take the butter off the heat and let it cool off. Doesn't have to be totally cooled, just not hot. Throw the butter and onions in with the seasoned bread, mix that up with your hands. Add the two eggs and chicken broth, and mix with your hands. It will be sticky and able to form into a ball. Spread it into a greased casserole dish.

Cover with foil, and bake for about 35 minutes. Just keep an eye on it, it will be moist but not wet at all, and a little golden when it's done. I often make this the day before Thanksgiving and just heat it back up in the oven the next day. I think it just gets better and better each time you heat it up with leftovers.

♥ ♥ Happy Thanksgiving ♥ ♥

Win a personalized Mom necklace and help a great cause!

2010-11-23T19:27:00.008-05:00

Talk about a win/win! You could grab a gorgeous handmade necklace and help a very worthy cause at the same time! A few days ago I wrote about our friend Bryan. He's a registered nurse and went to Haiti after the earthquake to offer his help. And now, due to a deadly outbreak of cholera, doctors and nurses are desperately needed again. You can read all about it here and see a couple pics that Bryan took while he was there the first time.

When Lynn, at Oak Hill Designs, heard about our fundraising efforts she generously offered to donate one of her lovely (beautiful, stunning, gorgeous) handmade pieces to be raffled off. The Heart Full of Love necklace is sterling silver, hand stamped, personalized with your children's names, accented with sparkling birthstone crystals (or any pretty color you like), and hangs from your choice of a 16, 18, 20, or 22 inch silver chain.

Photo Credit: Oak Hill Designs

{HOW TO ENTER}
This is a bit different than a typical giveaway, please read very carefully.

::::MANDATORY FIRST ENTRY:::: Comment on this post with your email address for ONE FREE ENTRY! No donation necessary for this entry. Only this one entry is free. To earn any of the extra entries you must make a donation, see details below. If you left comments for the extra entries without making a donation, I have deleted them. Also, if you've left comments for the free entry without leaving an email address, I also deleted since I would have no way of contacting you if you win. Please feel free to take advantage of the one free entry, but if you'd like to earn the extra entry you must leave a donation of at least $1. I apologize for any confusion.

::::EARN EXTRA ENTRIES:::: Make a donation of at least $1 to Bryan's Medical Mission Trip to Haiti. Comment on this post with your name after you've donated. If you donate $1, leave one comment, if you donate $3, leave 3 separate comments. If you donate $20, leave 20 separate comments, you get the idea. The great thing is, you can't really lose. If you don't win the necklace, you've still donated much needed money to a great cause. Money that will be used to send a nurse to Haiti with medical supplies to help children and their families fight a deadly disease!

After you've made your donation, you can earn even more extra entries!

~ONE free entry if you grab the Oak Hill Designs button and display it on your blog. Please leave a link to your site.

~After donation earn ONE free entry if you hop over and Lynn's Etsy Shop, Oak Hill Designs.

~After donation earn ONE free entry if you LIKE my page on Facebook.

~After donation earn ONE free entry if you LIKE Oak Hill Designs on Facebook.

~After donation earn TWO free entries if you post a link to this raffle in your Facebook status.

~After donation earn ONE free entry if you LIKE Samaritan's Purse International Relief on Facebook.

~After donation earn ONE free entry if you follow me on Twitter.

~After donation earn TWO free entries if you tweet (please leave a link) this:

#Win a #personalized #mom #necklace by
Oak Hill Designs and help a great cause
@TheLucky7blog go to http://bit.ly/dRBpql

Open to US residents only.
A winner will be chosen at 8:00 pm EST on December 10, 2010.
You may enter until that time.

**PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU WIN, ALL OF YOUR ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED.

To verify that this fundraising effort is legitamate, you may contact Morgann Greene (email | phone) at Samaritan's Purse | World Medical Mission and ask about project number: 010448

Christmas Morning Breakfast (Cranberry Orange biscuits with Almond Glaze)

2010-11-20T16:39:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine told me a couple years ago that each Christmas morning she makes cinnamon rolls for breakfast. She said the tradition was really just born out of the desire for a family favorite that would be quick to make and could be enjoyed while opening gifts with out making a huge mess. I think it's a great idea and it just goes to show you that meaningful family traditions don't have to be painstaking or expensive. Our little family was established just four short years ago but we've already started so many traditions. I hope that they mean as much to Ada as they do us. It makes my heart full to think that one day, long after I'm gone, she might carry on some of these because they remind her of me and her Dad, and her happy childhood. I love the idea of a portable, quick, but homemade Christmas morning breakfast and since I had nothing better to do at 3 am than think about this, I've come up with something! I once had a child I was babysitting tell me that he couldn't go to sleep because his brain just wouldn't shut up. Yeah, I know the feeling kid.

You'll Need:
For the biscuits:
2 C Self-Rising Flour
1/3 C Vegetable Oil
3/4 C Whole Milk
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1 large orange

For the glaze:
1 C Powdered Sugar
1/8 t almond extract
1/2 C Cream

I sifted the flour into a large mixing bowl, then added the oil and milk and stirred it with a wooden spoon. Once it was combined fairly well (just wet and sticky, don't over mix).

I tossed in the cranberries and all of the zest from the large orange and folded them in with the spoon.

Next I threw down a little flour on my cutting board and spooned the dough out onto it.

I read that you should kneed biscuit dough, just fold it over gently again and again. The flour that your dough picks up off the board while you do this will make it seem more like dough and less like a sticky, wet mess.

Roll the dough out to about a half an inch thick. I rolled mine out thinner but next time I'll do half an inch.

Use the fanciest round cookie cutter you own.

And cut out the biscuits. I kept folding up the scraps and getting a couple more out of them until the dough was all gone. Place them on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees on the top rack until golden brown. I bake them on the top rack so the bottoms don't get too crispy but it's up to you. While you're waiting for them to bake you can make the glaze. There's no special method. Just mix the powered sugar, cream, and almond extract with a whisk.

Once the tops of the biscuits are slightly golden, pull them out and let them cool off a bit, but not totally. Spoon a little of your glaze over each one and let them sit to finish cooling and the glaze set up a bit. I put them on a drying rack (it's actually just the rack from the toaster oven but it works too)

I put them in an air tight container and let them sit on the counter overnight. I didn't want them to get too cold in the fridge.

On Christmas morning you'll have a homemade, delicious, ~~healthy~~ made with love, breakfast waiting for you and your family! Swing by the kitchen on your way to the tree, grab one and maybe a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and let the wrapping paper fly!

Help for Haiti

2010-11-18T15:26:00.020-05:00

After an earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010 so many answered the call for help. I'm sure many of you donated money to aid the estimated three million people were affected by the quake. Eleven months later the people of Haiti still desperately need our help. Right now an outbreak of cholera is claiming hundreds of lives and threatens thousands more.

Bryan in Haiti June 2010

Our friend Bryan Boling, a registered nurse, visited Haiti in June. He documented much of his experience on his blog, Headed to Haiti. Lately he feels compelled to return and needs our help to raise the funds to do so. He hopes to raise $1000. If everyone who reads this post donates just a few dollars, he could meet his goal. Bryan wrote this on his blog yesterday

As you may know, Cholera is sweeping through Haiti like a firestorm. Friends of mine who are down there in the thick of it are reporting that they’re overwhelmed with the number of people needing help. This is as great a need as the immediate post-quake period, if not more. This is the worst outbreak of Cholera in a century!
I’ve wanted to go back to Haiti since coming home and I’ve been thinking and planning about when to go. Recently, I’ve really felt a strong pull to go now. It seems like every day I see or hear something else that makes me think I need to go. It seems like God is calling me to go and help.

The mobile clinic where Bryan worked.

I am asking all of my readers to donate $5. Anything that he raises above the amount he needs to travel will be used for supplies related to medical care in Haiti.

Donating is simple, just click the orange "ChipIn" button.

Rather do it the old fashioned way? That's fine too... just please make sure you note Bryan Boling's name and project number: 010448 if you call or mail in your donation.

Call in your donation to Morgann Greene at 828-278-1087

Mail in your donation: World Medical Mission

PO Box 3000

Boone, NC 28607

And, sincerely, thank you.

GIVEAWAY: Custom designed holiday cards!

2010-11-17T19:30:00.013-05:00

:::CONTEST CLOSED:::

I just officially launched my new website, Lucky 7 Designs! I've been taking and filling orders through this blog, email, and Facebook since about this time last year. As I started to get more and more orders I found a need for a little more flexibility. I wanted a way to create coupon codes, track orders, shipping, and invoicing all in one place. It's taken a couple months of hard work to get things in order and most of my products still aren't listed, but I have managed to get all of my 2010 holiday designs up and available for purchase!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the launching of my new site than giving away a set of holiday cards to one of my awesome readers!

The winner of this giveaway will receive:
{50} 5 x 7 Lustre Finish Holiday photo cards w/ envelopes (a $60 value) {LOOK}
FREE custom design upgrade (a $15 value)
FREE UPS 2 Day Air shipping to your home (a $7 value)

That's a total value of $82!

This giveaway will end on November 26, 2010 at 12pm (noon) EST. If you win, I will contact you moments after you are selected and begin working on your fully custom design immediately after you respond. You will receive your first proof of the design within 24 hours. I will make as many changes as you like until you are completely satisfied. I am available that entire weekend so you'll receive changed proofs quickly. The moment you approve the final design it will be sent to my printer, they usually ship within hours of the order being placed. Your order will ship from the printer to you UPS 2 Day Air. This will give you plenty of time to receive, address, and mail your cards. I'm sorry, but this giveaway is open to US residents only.

::HOW TO ENTER::

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post with your email address. If you do not complete this entry none of your other will count so pleeease be sure to do this.

Extra Entries: Be sure to leave a separate comment for everything you do below!

1. Like The Lucky 7 on Facebook (leave your name or initials) - 1 entry
2. Follow The Lucky 7 on Twitter (leave your twitter handle) - 1 entry
3. Follow The Lucky 7 with Google Friend Connect - 1 entry
4. Grab my blog button (leave a link to your blog) - 1 entry
5. Grab my store button (leave a link to your blog) - 1 entry
6. Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook - 2 entries
7. Tweet about this giveaway (copy sample tweet below) - 2 entries
GIVEAWAY- #Win a set of 50 #custom #designed #holiday cards!
http://bit.ly/cpGZGE @thelucky7blog #giveaway

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Turtle Pumpkin Bites

2010-11-10T08:47:00.007-05:00

I have to thank my cousin Patty for the name of this recipe. When I posted a picture of this on Facebook I called them Turtle Pumpkin Cheese{cup}cake(s). So you can see the need for a new name. =) These are basically just the Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe I posted a couple days ago but with a couple little twists.

You'll Need:
For the crust:
1 box Chocolate graham crackers
1 1/2 sticks butter

For the filling:
3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese
1 C sugar
3/4 C pumpkin pie mix (*for the full cheesecake I used 1 C)
3 eggs
1 T cinnamon
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/8 t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
dash of cloves (which is somewhere between 1/16 - 1/8 t)

For the topping:
Some caramel sauce in a jar
1 package of mini milk chocolate chips
1 C pecans

Put all of the graham crackers in a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or large wooden spoon. Melt the butter in a bowl and add the graham cracker crumbs and mix with your hands. Drop a spoonful or so in each (greased) muffin tin and pack down with your fingers. Crust is done.

Mix the filling just like you would for my cheesecake recipe. You can see that here. Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 full with the filling and bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes. The tops should be nice and golden and they shouldn't feel too spongy when you push on the tops a bit. Let them cool completely. I stuck mine in the fridge for about an hour.

Put a spoonful of caramel on top of each one, these will hold the chocolate and nuts in place.

I put my pecans and HALF of my chocolate chips in a big bowl and mixed them together so I could top these in one step. I just took a healthy pinch and sprinkled on top of each of these. I put the other half of the chocolate chips in the microwave and melted them down, then put them in a ziploc bag and snipped the edge so I could use it as a pastry bag. After I'd topped these with nuts and chocolate chips, I drizzled the melted chocolate over top. I stored them in the fridge overnight.

The winner of the $25 Visa Gift Card is...

2010-11-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

The McCormicks!!

Congratulations! An email has been sent to the address listed on your Google Profile. Please respond and let me know if you would like the $25 Visa Gift Card or the $50 Gift Certificate to Lucky 7 Designs.

Random.org selected comment # 102 as the winner...

The McCormicks wrote:

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this giveaway and voted for Ada in the photo contest!! Their were 37 absolutely adorable kiddos in the contest and Ada came in 2nd place!! Thanks so much for your help!!

Vote & Enter to Win! :::CONTEST CLOSED:::

2010-11-04T10:31:00.008-04:00

Ada's favorite day of the week is Wednesday. That's gymnastics day! She gets to run around like a wild child, try new things, and dance to fun songs. Of course, the highlight for her is is popping "bubbas" (bubbles) at the end of every class. Even at 17 months she's learned so much there. She started just after her first birthday and in the beginning she was a little timid with some things. Especially the high balance beam. She wouldn't let her feet touch it when the teacher or I would hold her over it. Now when we spot her by holding her hands, not only does she put her feet on the beam, she walks one foot in front of the other, all the way across! She's so proud when everyone claps for her.

As usual, I've gotten side tracked.

The point of this post is that last weekend at The Little Gym's Halloween party, Ada was in a costume contest! The pictures are now posted on TLG's Facebook fan page for voting.

We would ♥ ♥ ♥ LOVE LOVE LOVE ♥ ♥ ♥ your vote.

You vote by liking her picture. It's two simple steps, and if she wins she'll get a FREE semester of gymnastics!!

Once you've voted come back and comment on this post with your email address. That's it. You don't have to GFC me, repost this link (although I'd super appreciate it), none of that! Just vote and let me know that you did! On November 9th at 9 am (EST) I'll randomly select one comment to win either a $25 Visa Gift Card or a $50 Gift Certificate to Lucky 7 Designs, just in time for holiday card ordering! Winner's choice.

P.S. We got a ton of compliments on the kitty ears. I knew Ada would never keep a headband on so I found these on Etsy. Go check out the shop, tons of cute stuff!

UPDATE: First of all, THANK YOU for all of the sweet comments on Ada's picture. She's as sweet as she is cute =) We were truly blessed with an amazingly happy child. We are so grateful for her. And secondly THANK YOU for voting!! Ada went from 5th place to 3rd place thanks to all your votes!! She's still about 100 likes from the lead so vote if you haven't, share, tweet, repost, repeat. ♥ ♥ ♥

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-03T20:58:00.001-04:00

I must admit that I can't really vouch for the taste of this recipe. I am one of those really odd people who hates cheesecake so I the only thing I was willing to do with this one was a tiny taste here and there of the raw batter to check my spices and sugar. Russel, however, ate three slices and has two comments. First, it's delicious. Second, he thinks he's slipping into a diabetic coma. So even though this cheesecake is very easy to make, looks awfully pretty (if I do say so myself), it is to be enjoyed responsibly!

You'll Need:
3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese
1 C sugar
1 C pumpkin pie mix
3 eggs (I didn't have any so I used 3/4 C of egg beaters)
1 T cinnamon
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/8 t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
dash of cloves (which is somewhere between 1/16 - 1/8 t)
Some caramel sauce in a jar and some whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix the cream cheese, all of the spices, and sugar and mix on a medium speed until it's well combined and sort of looks whipped.

Then add the eggs and pumpkin pie mix and mix again until smooth. Pour into the pre-made pie crusts (I told you, baking's not my thing).

Stick it in the preheated oven and set the timer for 50 minutes.

See? Simple. And you'll probably find it even easier if you don't have one of these playing on your feet while you bake.

Now, I read a lot of tips on how to keep your cheesecake from cracking. I didn't try any of them and my cheesecake cracked a lot but if you plan to cover it with something, like caramel and/or whipped cream, who cares?

Now comes the hard part. The waiting. After the 50 minutes of baking were over, I turned the oven off and let the cheesecakes sit in there for about an hour more. Then I let them sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Once you've done that, cut yourself a slice, slather on enough caramel and whipped cream to make yourself sick, make sure you've got a nice bulky sweater and some fat pants to wear to work tomorrow, and enjoy!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

2010-10-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

Baking is definitely not my strong suit, but these, I'm quite proud of. I made some apple muffins for myself this past weekend (Atkins baking mix, splenda, blah blah bleck) and Russel asked if I could make "some kind of pumpkin muffin". I gave it a try and the first batch was pretty crappy. So the next night I decided to try it with no recipe and fix the errors I'd made the night before.

These are high fat, high calorie, high sugar, and oh.so.delicious!

You'll Need:
Cupcakes:
2 1/4 C Self-Rising Flour
2 C Sugar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 t ground ginger
1 T ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 C Pumpkin Pie Filling
2 eggs
1/2 C oil
1/4 C whole milk

Pumpkin Spice Icing (yummmmmy!)
1 (16oz) tub of vanilla frosting
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t ginger

Put all of the dry ingredients for the cupcake batter into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

Add all of the wet ingredients and mix well.

Line your muffin pan and spray with oil. Fill each cup about 1/2 full.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Maybe a little less. Just keep an eye on them.

Let them cool COMPLETELY. This part is so hard for me. I'm too impatient. To help pass the time you can make the icing. Put the entire 16 oz tub of icing into a small microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. It needs to be pretty thin. Then add the spices.

Dip the cupcake tops in the icing. Lift them out and let the excess run off. Let them sit for a few minutes and the icing will sort of stiffen up.

E-N-J-O-Y!!

A lot of the spices sort of seem redundant. Pumpkin pie spice already has nutmeg, cinnamon, etc in it. But these really did turn out pretty great so give it a try!

My 2010 Holiday Card Designs!

2010-10-12T14:08:00.002-04:00

I have seriously neglected my blog for the last few weeks. I have a good excuse though. I was busy designing! I have 18 brand new holiday card designs posted and may add a couple more over the next few days. Hop over to Lucky 7 Designs to check 'em out!

Cards are offered on my site in sets of 25 or 50 but I can do other quantities if needed, just send me an email and I'll get you a quote.

Here's a sneak peek...

Chicken Pepperoni

2010-09-13T21:27:00.002-04:00

Last Friday night Russel and I had our first date since Ada was born! It was...p-e-r-f-e-c-t. We went to a great Italian restaurant. Great atmosphere, amazing food, and a live jazz band. We had to most wonderful time and a great dinner. Russel was so impressed that I took a stab at the chicken pepperoni he'd had. He loved it, and it was really easy to make.

You'll Need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
30 slices of pepperoni
8 slices of provolone
1/4 C flour
1 1/2 T italian seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the chicken breasts on a sheet of wax paper, sprinkle a little italian seasoning and a pinch of garlic powder on each side of them, cover with another piece of wax paper, and pound them with a wooden spoon, or a skillet, whatever you have. You'll want these to end up pretty thin, maybe 1/4 inch or a bit thicker.

Put the pepperoni in a skillet and let the fat render out. You aren't really trying to cook or crisp it, you just want the fat so you can lightly fry the flour coating in a bit.

Lay a couple slices of provolone on each chicken breast, then the pepperoni, then 2 more slices of cheese. Make sure to leave the fat in the skillet!

Roll up the chicken and secure with four toothpicks.

In a bowl mix the flour, italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Roll the chicken through this mixture to coat well.

Lay the chicken in the pan of fat from the pepperoni, on a medium high heat brown the coating. You don't need to worry about cooking anything, just get the outside layer brown. Just takes a few seconds on each side. Just keep turning until the whole thing is browned.

Spray a little oil on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked.

I had made lasagna this past weekend so Russel just had some of the leftovers. If I hadn't had that in the fridge I would have made some spaghetti with marinara and sat this up on top.

Enjoy!

Mommy Cards Giveaway

2010-09-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

Lolo at Crazy About My Baybah is hosting a giveaway of one of my designs! She did an awesome job with the post, go check it out and enter to win!

Crazy About My Baybah - 250 Mommy Cards Giveaway

These cards are great for Moms and especially Mommy bloggers. Use them as a quick and easy way to share your contact info with Moms at birthday parties, story time, or play groups. Mommy bloggers hand them out at conferences or stuff them in with letters to sponsors. Each card is custom designed to your taste, if you blog, I can make a coordinating design.

On the road again...

2010-09-10T11:47:00.000-04:00

Ada and I really wish we could figure out a way for Daddy to stay home with us all the time but still get paid at work. Any ideas?

We are on day 2 of our long awaited 4 day weekend. It's been great so far and we have lots more fun planned. This morning Daddy and Ada are going out to run a few errands and have lunch so I can get the house cleaned up and get some work done. All Russel has to do is say "You wanna go bye bye?" and she runs out to the door and won't leave it. She figures if she guards the exit then there's no way he can slip past her. She stands out there and reaches for the door knob and says "bye bye, bye bye, bye bye". She loves Daddy/Daughter adventures!

The winner of the $20 Visa Gift Card is...

2010-09-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2010-09-06T18:17:00.001-04:00

After a miserably hot Summer, Fall is even more of a welcome change this year than most. Saturday we woke up to a beautiful Fall morning. The second half of the year is really my favorite. We have lots to celebrate including our wedding anniversary, my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Russel's birthday. We have so much fun and have already started so many traditions. So when I woke up Saturday morning and it was breezy and even a bit chilly outside, I got the itch to come up with a hearty fall/winter dish. This is sort of a marriage of chicken noodle soup and a chicken pot pie. It's super simple and really very tasty! This makes quite a bit. Great for a get-together but if you're making it just for a night in at home you might want to half the recipe.

For the chicken you'll need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 T italian seasoning (2 T for chicken, 1 T for filling)

For the filling/sauce you'll need:

5 C chicken stock

3 C whole milk

1 C butter (yeah, that's two sticks)

1 C All Purpose Flour

1 T fresh thyme

2 T fresh parsley

4 stalks of celery

4 large carrots

1/2 a large onion

1 package frozen peas

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the breadcrumb topping:

2 canisters of italian breadcrumbs

A little roughly chopped parsley makes for a pretty presentation as well.

For the noddles:

1 lb bag of egg noddles

4-6 C of chicken stock. This can get pricey so if you want, do half stock and half water. You could do all water but the stock really does add a ton of flavor.

First get the chicken in the oven. Preheat to 400 degrees, spray a little oil on the pan or foil, sprinkle a little italian seasoning on it, about 1 T total probably, and a little fresh cracked black pepper. Stick in the oven on the middle rack for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Next, make the sauce or filling for the casserole. Chop the celery, carrots, onion, and parsley and thyme. I didn't measure the parsley and thyme but here's what it looked like. The thyme is the little pile down front.

Put a couple sticks of butter in a big stock pot and turn on a medium heat. I think there's a reason that rich, fattening meals like this are meant for winter when we can wear layers of heavy clothing. One the butter starts to bubble a bit drop all the veggies and herbs.

Let this cook about 10 minutes or so. You want the veggies to begin to soften and the onions to become sort of translucent. When they are ready, drop the one cup of flour into the pot and stir very very well. Let this cook about another minute and stir the entire time. It will become sort of gummy...

Now it's time to add the liquids. Add the 5 cups of chicken stock (or broth) and the 3 C of milk and stir very well. Add about 1 T of italian seasoning and a little black better and turn the heat down to low/simmer. You'll want to stir this very often and make sure the heat isn't up too high but you can work on a couple other things while this thickens. It will take about 15 minutes. If the heat is too high and you don't stir often you'll burn the milk and that would pretty much ruin the whole pot. If that happens and you want to start over make sure to wash the pot so that burnt flavor washes away.

While your sauce is thickening you can prepare your egg noodles and chop the chicken, which will probably be ready for you at this point. Boiling the egg noodles won't take long. If you can, boil them in chicken stock. It is amazing how much flavor this adds! If you want to save a few bucks on this meal then do half water to stretch the stock a little farther.

Once your sauce is thickened up a bit, pour it into a large casserole dish, or two smaller ones. Like I said before, this makes a ton of food! Chop the chicken and add that to the casserole dish. Stir that up well and add your frozen peas, stir again. If you aren't a fan of noodles or chicken you could stop here and eat this as a creamy veggie stew. It's delicious!

Yours should look creamier than this picture below. I ended up adding more sauce to this one.

Now for the topping. My store was out of italian breadcrumbs so I just bought plain ones and tossed in a couple tablespoons of italian seasoning and a handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley. Pour the breadcrumbs on top and press down lightly with your hand to sort of stamp them in a bit.

Pop these in the oven, it should still be on from baking the chicken. You aren't really cooking anything. Just letting the sauce thicken a bit more and browning up those breadcrumbs.

Serve and enjoy!!

So what exactly is embryo donation? (Ask a question for a chance to win a $20 Visa Gift Card)

2010-09-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Our Embryos- September 16, 2008.
One of them is Ada!

***CONTEST CLOSED*** Thank you all for 32 excellent questions about embryo donation!

I was recently contacted by a representative of RESOLVE and asked to help them raise awareness about an issue very (very) near to my heart. Without giving it a second thought, I said "yes". It's likely that you've never heard of RESOLVE and that's why I am eager to help them spread the word.

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, established in 1974, is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders. (credit: www.resolve.org)

Infertility is an ugly, messy, heartbreaking thing that you simply cannot understand until you've been there. Sitting here now I'm really struggling to even put it into words. The desire to have a child of your own isn't like wanting anything else in the world. It's a consuming need, not just a "want". Facing the reality that you won't get there like most couples is devastating.

Luckily, there are many options available to couples like Russel and I. RESOLVE works to educate and support those struggling to build the family they dream of.

We are among the very lucky ones who had success with our first in-vitro cycle and were able to conceive, carry, and deliver a child that belongs (biologically speaking) to both of us. We never take for granted what a true blessing that was, and is.

Another option available to couples who cannot conceive naturally is embryo adoption. When we were first told that IVF w/ ICSI would be our only option we had to quickly educate ourselves on the many possible outcomes. We knew that we may have to make the, "what next" decision if IVF didn't work for us. We considered embryo adoption. We also considered the possibility of being on the other end of embryo donation. If our IVF cycle had produced embryos which would have survived freezing we knew that one day, once our family was complete, we'd have to make a decision as to what to do with our extra living embryos. For that we considered embryo donation.

Embryo adoption is much like adopting a child that has already been born. A couple unable to have a child adopts an embryo from a couple who has already completed their family. The adopted embryos are thawed and transferred into the uterus of the adopting mother. The adopting mother would carry the child but the not be biologically related to the baby.

Obviously this is an overwhelming decision to make, both for the donating parents and the adopting parents. When we faced this possibility we had a million questions, just as I'm sure you do. Now, thanks to a campaign that RESOLVE is soon launching, you have a chance to have your questions answered by Barb Collura herself, RESOLVE's executive director.

I was asked to submit a question about embryo donation to RESOLVE for their "So what exactly is embryo donation?" Q&A video project. The question will be answered by Barb Collura and might be chosen for a personalized video response on their youtube channel, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Here's where you come in and how you can win! Ask your questions about embryo donation in the comments section of this post. On September 7, 2010 I will submit all of your questions to RESOLVE. After I submit all of your questions I will select one of the questions at random (using random.org) and the winner will receive a $20 Visa Gift Card! There is no limit on entries so ASK AWAY! The more questions you ask, the higher your odds of winning! Just make sure you ask each question in a separate comment so your questions all count as individual entires.

Each comment should contain:
1. Your name
2. Your email address
3. Your question about embryo adoption

Prize details: On September 7, 2010 I will select one comment using random.org. The person who posted that comment will win a $20 Visa Gift Card from The Lucky 7. The contest for the $20 Visa Gift Card is hosted by The Lucky 7 blog, not RESOLVE. I will notify you via email (so please make sure you list your address with your questions) if you are the winner. I will also post a notification on this blog, you will need to reply to me with your shipping address. Once I have your address your $20 Visa Gift Card will be mailed to you within 24 hours.

The winner of the Simulated Diamond Earrings is...

2010-09-01T09:21:00.004-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway!

Giveaway: Simulated Diamond Earrings

2010-08-22T16:51:00.007-04:00

Time for another giveaway! And it's another great one.

I have always loved jewelry of any kind. When I was a little girl I would play a game every time we got jewelry catalogs in the mail. I would pretend that I could have any one item from every single page. But only one item, so that was the tough part, picking my favorite. I was an odd child. The really odd part is that I secretly still play this little game every time the Tiffany catalog arrives. I guess my secret is out. Maybe I should start circling my choices in red, leave the catalog lying around, and see what happens.

When I was contacted by www.diamondearrings.org last week with an offer to review a pair of simulated diamond earrings I was very excited. Some of my favorite things are fashion pieces. Inexpensive items that can be mixed and matched and work with lots of different outfits. After talking with Chris from www.diamondearrings.org and doing a little research online I agreed to review the earrings and host a giveaway if I liked them. And I do! I actually love them.

www.diamondearrings.org will eventually sell a wide variety of earrings but for now they are promoting their site by offering a free pair of earrings to anyone who mentions their site on the web, all you have to do is pay shipping.

The even better news is that www.diamondearrings.org is giving one of my readers a pair absolutely FREE, even free shipping!

Take a look...

They arrive (quickly) in a nice black box

It's really hard to take a picture of your own ear.

I finally gave up and settled for a crumby webcam shot. At least you can get an idea of the real size. I love that they aren't huge. They are just simple and pretty.

I also love that the simulated diamonds are set in sterling silver. My ears are somewhat sensitive and some metals irritate them. I've had these in for two days and they haven't bothered me at all.

Entering is easy! And you've got up to 6 chances to win!

Contest ends September 1, 2010 @ 9am EST.

Open to US Residents only.

IMPORTANT : Make sure all of your entries count! In order for entries 1-5 to be counted you MUST complete the mandatory entry by listing a link to www.diamondearrings.org on the web! Post it on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, your blog, anywhere on the web qualifies!

I received a free pair of simulated diamond earrings with free shipping from www.diamondearrings.org for review. However, the opinions in this post are my own and not influenced by the sponsor in any way.