I’m excited to announce the launch of Baltimore-based Terra’s Kitchen, an innovative meal-kit delivery service that’s making it easy and quick to cook up tasty dishes at home leaving more time for memory making in the kitchen and beyond!
Terra’s Kitchen, available for the first time ever in the Baltimore area starting March 1st, promises farm-to-front door delivery of fresh, seasonal ingredients that are pre-portioned and prepped for skillet-ready, chef-designed recipes. Each meal can be made in 30 minutes or less, giving families more time for the things that matter.
With the now 1 billion dollar meal-kit marketplace offering many options, I wanted to call out a few things that sets Terra’s Kitchen apart from its competitors:
Eco-Friendly Delivery Vessel: The unique vessel features proprietary, climate-controlling technology to keep high-quality ingredients cool and fresh for delivery. The eco-friendly Vessel is reusable and creates 0% waste, as Terra’s Kitchen will schedule a pickup date and time with its customers to retrieve it and reuse.
Clean & Chef-Designed Recipes: Libbie Summers, Head of Culinary Direction at Terra’s Kitchen and esteemed cookbook author, expertly combines high-quality ingredients for healthy meals, with options for omnivore, gluten-free, paleo and vegetarian preferences. With a rotating seasonal menu, each meal comes with a step-by-step recipe card to ensure that dinner is easy-to-make (think Honey Mustard Chicken Breast with Grilled Vegetable Kabobs, Tomato Scallion Rice With Cheesy Grilled Squash or Grilled NY Strip Steak With Tomatoes, Eggplant & Basil Chimichurri in under 30 minutes!).
Recreating The Family Dinner Experience: In an era where busy American families struggle to find the time for quality meals at-home, Terra’s Kitchen’s offers consumers an easy tool for quick meals, that don’t sacrifice nutrition or taste, and can go from the skillet to the table in under 30 minutes. All ingredients come pre-portioned and prepped – all you do is cook!
Christmas and Thanksgiving’s right around the corner and everyone likes to give back during this time of the year! Why not participate in a great charity; striving to raise funds for Boys and Girls Club, Waterkeeper Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, and many more. Paul Mitchell has taken action on social media with the Giving Is My Style Campaign.
Paul Mitchell Mission:
This holiday season, we’re celebrating our commitment to live beautifully by giving, because that’s our style. Whether that means taking steps toward sustainability, helping families in need or supporting underserved kids, Paul Mitchell® believes in doing good for people, animals and our planet. Join our global family and share why or how you give back on Instagram or Twitter with #GivingIsMyStyle, and we’ll donate $1 to one of our favorite charities on your behalf.
Causes:
Bright Pink: Bright Pink is the only national non-profit organization that focuses on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. We are proud to support their mission to educate, equip and empower women of all ages to be proactive with their health. @BeBrightPink
Waterkeeper Foundation: For more than 10 years, Paul Mitchell has supported Waterkeeper Alliance in their mission to protect rivers, streams, coastlines and other major waterways around the world.@Waterkeeper
Morris Animal Foundation: Morris Animal Foundation is a global leader in supporting scientific research that advances veterinary medicine. We’re proud to support the organization’s commitment to improving the health and quality of life for dogs, cats, horses and wildlife around the world.@Morris_Animal
Grow Appalachia: In 2010, Paul Mitchell co-founder John Paul DeJoria teamed up with Berea College to establish Grow Appalachia, a non-profit initiative that helps Appalachian families plant a healthy future. Over the last few years, the organization has produced more than 1.1 million pounds of healthy, organic food for thousands of people in five states. @GrowAppalachia
Boys & Girls Club: Paul Mitchell co-founder John Paul DeJoria grew up in an underserved Los Angeles community. During his youth, the local Boys & Girls Club provided a safe place for him to socialize, learn and grow. Today, our company is proud to give back to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and their efforts to create great futures for young people.@BGCA_Clubs
Reforest’Action: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree proudly supports Reforest’Action, an environmental organization that plants trees worldwide, in the areas where they’re needed most. Join The Green Takeover and help us plant 500,000 trees by 2016.
Social Handles
IG: @PaulMitchellUS
Twitter: @PaulMitchellUS
Hashtag: #GivingIsMyStyle
Join us in helping with the cause by sending an IG Message or Tweet with the featured social media handles. I’ve already started working on the initiative and asking everyone to join me! It’s just that easy but can make a big difference this holiday season.
Fall Weekends Frighteningly Busy as Halloween & the Holidays Near
* Low Gas Prices, Means Holiday Travel/Get-A-Ways Are On The Rise*
The countdown to Halloween is on, and as we creep closer to the holidays, Kingsmill Resort’s reservation system is spooky busy with many key weekends in October, November and December starting to fill up. The reason, according to Kingsmill Resort, is the increased desire to create multi-generational memories by establishing new traditions for family travel during the fall and Holidays. Low gas prices and high demand for Kingsmill’s riverfront cottages and spacious condos featuring full kitchens support this trend.
Kingsmill Resort is the only AAA Four Diamond condominium resort in Williamsburg and the only property with direct access to the majestic James River. Sitting on 3,000 acres of land, Kingsmill Resort is ripe with stories of fright and holiday delight dating back to America’s beginnings. It’s also a fall/early winter harvest of golf, watersports, heated indoor pools, a million dollar spa, restaurants, tennis, biking and just a cannon-ball shot away from the area’s iconic major attractions.
What does this all mean? For travelers planning a visit to Greater Williamsburg this holiday season to take in the fall foliage, ghoulish frights at Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream, or Greater Williamsburg’s holiday lineup, that means it’s best to book now or beware. There may be no room at the proverbial “inn.” A word to the wise, if you are thinking of calling Kingsmill Resort ‘home’ for the upcoming holidays it is best to book now, or the resort may be stuffed and your family will be crying foul.
Fall/holiday packages that are exceptionally value driven and popular include:
· The Howl-O-Scream package through October 31 which includes accommodations for two nights in a guest room (upgrade to condo available), daily breakfast, complimentary shuttle service to Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg and access to Busch Gardens with two Fun Cards.
· The Thanksgiving package, featuring a two-night stay in a one bedroom condo, breakfast daily, complimentary transportation to Colonial Williamsburg, and of course a traditional Thanksgiving buffet.
Three distinct Christmas Season packages:
1. Christmas Town: a two-night stay and multi-day tickets to Busch Gardens
2. Let It Glow: spacious accommodations in a condo for two nights, breakfast daily and curbside transportation to Grand Illumination at Colonial Williamsburg.
3. Holiday Traditions: featuring two-night accommodations in a holiday-decorated condo including a tree and fireplace, meals, and more…
Kingsmill Resort is an AAA Four Diamond condo resort and member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Located on the James River off I‐64 between Richmond and Norfolk the property is within minutes from Williamsburg’s numerous destinations including Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, The College of William & Mary, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center.
Tune in to watch the first-ever national U.S. broadcast of We Day, featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, Jennifer Hudson along with inspiring young Americans celebrating the ‘We’ Movement
We Day airs commercial-free on ABC, Friday, August 21, 2015 at 8pm ET/7pm CT
We Day, in collaboration with ABC, invites families to tune in to the first-ever U.S. national broadcast of We Day, airing commercial-free on August 21, 2015 at 8/7pm CT.
Selena Gomez, Jennifer Hudson, Common, Tyrese Gibson, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Aniston, The Band Perry, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Rico & Raini Rodriguez, Paul Rudd, Josh Gad, Colbie Caillat, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Macklemore, Lupe Fiasco, Shay Mitchell, Dennis Haysbert and Kid President will come together to encourage young Americans to be engaged, active citizens and make a difference in their local and global communities. The First Lady will also share an inspiring message to young Americans; watch Michelle Obama’s video here.
Michelle Obama
The broadcast, timed just as kids in the U.S. are heading back to school, is meant to bring families across America together for the most important conversations they’ll have all year to explore and discuss social issues faced by today’s youth and how they can take action on the issues they care about. Bullying, struggles with body image, the environment, inner-city violence and literacy are only a handful of the social issues that will be covered in We Day, which features international activists and We Day co-founders, Craig and Marc Kielburger along with iconic celebrities, international activists, and inspiring young Americans that have dealt with these issues first-hand. We Day challenges families to tune in and become a part of the growing movement that is motivating students to take action on issues and create systemic change in communities around the world.
“I am so proud to be part of We Day. Connecting with hundreds of thousands of youth that are determined to make this world a better place is so inspiring,” said Selena Gomez, Host of We Day. “By coming together, young people are empowered to take action on issues they care about and make an impact – We Day is the movement that sparks inspiration and leads to action. I believe that this is the generation that will change the world, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
“Today’s generation of young people have the power to create and lead real systematic change,” said We Day co-founder, Craig Kielburger. “From bake sales and coin drives, clothing drives and awareness campaigns, youth across America are taking action on local and global issues they care about, and are being caring global citizens in the process. We’re so excited to lead the conversation on August 21st and help families discuss issues that have an effect on such a large part of our youth population. We are all about encouraging youth to take a stand for their passions, and we hope our message will shine through to the whole family and leave a lasting impression.”
On August 21st at 8/7pm CT tune in to ABC to watch the first-ever U.S. commercial-free, one-hour broadcast of We Day. Celebrating a generation committed to changing their world, We Day features inspiring stories of young Americans. Joined by host Selena Gomez, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, Common, Tyrese Gibson, Demi Lovato, The Band Perry and more. We Day is made possible by national title sponsor Allstate, presenting sponsors Unilever and Microsoft YouthSpark, and supported by Walgreens and ABC. Check out we.org for more information. You won’t want to miss it!
About the We Day Movement
We Day is the movement of our time – a movement of young people leading local and global change. We Day celebrates and inspires this generation’s shift from me to we – towards acting with intention, leading with compassion, and a belief in the power of community. We Day is one of the world’s largest registered charities on social media, with more than five million followers. This year alone over 200,000 young people will come together in 15 stadium gatherings across the U.S. Canada and UK to take part in this unprecedented educational initiative.
More than a one-day event, We Day is connected to a year-long free educational program, which provides educational resources and campaigns to help young people turn the day’s inspiration into sustained action. We Day and the year-long educational program are cause inclusive, empowering young people to find their passion and create the change they want to see. Together they are a blueprint for building the next generation of global citizens.
Award-winning Journalist Soledad OBrien along with her husband Brad Raymond hosted the annual fundraising event, “New Orleans to New York City Gala,” with guests Bevy Smith, Ubah Hassan, Geoffrey Fletcher and more. The celebration was the biggest night of the year for the Starfish Foundation, created to provide promising young women a bridge between obstacles and opportunities. Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception followed by the evening’s festivities which included a special music performance by members of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.
The Starfish Foundation Industry Roundtable Powered by Build N Blaze gave Starfish scholars a behind the scenes look inside running the Home Shopping Network (HSN). HSN CEO Mindy Grossman was on site for a Q&A with Soledad OBrien and to take the young women scholars through a day in the life at the network.
ABOUT THE STARFISH FOUNDATION: After witnessing the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, OBrien and Raymond began privately awarding scholarships to young women who didn’t have the resources for success. As their efforts grew, they officially formed the Starfish Foundation to expand their reach and help even more young women. Today the Starfish Foundation provides scholarships to disadvantaged young women in under-served communities and is committed to giving more than just financial assistance to its scholarship honorees. The Foundation creates a customized support program for each participant that reflects that person’s specific needs.
Did you know that BJs carries more than 150 organic options in-club and their assortment is growing? Well-known brands from Back to Nature, Betterbody, Stonyfield, and Horizon can be found at BJs. In fact, BJs is expanding its own brand, Wellsley Farms, in this category, too. Twenty-five percent of Wellsley Farms items that are unveiled this year will be organic. Currently, BJs also carries organic dairy, bakery, produce, prepared foods and more.
PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® is the first organic whole bird, boneless breasts, and boneless thighs now offered. In true blogger fashion I decided to venture into BJs and take a look at the new product line. I’m always pleased to visit the store because they have great prices and the products are in line with my family’s needs. It’s also very clean and well organized; all of the components that any busy mom values when shopping wholesale.
I purchased a few items of my own and created a recipe with Perdue Harvestland Whole Chicken. The meal was delicious and the quality of the chicken was undeniable because there were fewer hormones. If you’re looking to jumpstart a healthier meal option for your family and consume meats with no animal by-products, visit BJs and shop their (new) organic food options.
Photo Example from Iowagirleats.com
Can in The Rear Chicken Ingredients:
1 4-pound whole chicken
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 opened, half-full can of pepsi, room temperature
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 Tbsp Mrs Dash
1 Tbsp black pepper
Method:
1 Prepare your oven at 350 degrees for indirect heat
2 Remove neck and giblets from cavity of chicken. Rub olive oil all over the chicken. Mix the salt, pepper, and Mrs Dash in a little bowl, then sprinkle or spread over the chicken.
3 Make sure the can is open and lower the chicken on the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright and the can in its cavity.
4 Place the chicken in the oven; and don’t check on it for at least an hour. After an hour, check on the chicken and keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160°F – 165°F. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, poke the chicken with a knife to see if there’s no red juices or if the meat is done.
5 Carefully transfer the chicken to a tray or pan and use tongs to hold the top of the chicken. Lift the chicken and ease the can from inside of the chicken. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off of the can.
I had to share this post with my readers! The following photos were sent via my aunt Gloria from Bishop State Community College. Erica Hunter, Graphic Communications Technology Instructor, created and designed the beautiful dress seen below. What makes this wedding dress so special is that it’s created with the use of PAPER!
She and her students worked to design the dress for an event called The Arts in Technical Education for Bishop State. The dress is (now) on display in the lobby on the school campus. How beautiful and creative was this design…Style + Life + Fashion approved!
Unilever is launching “Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” a new program in partnership with Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council designed to educate people about recycling in the bathroom, inspire them to reimagine what empty bathroom products could become through recycling, and ultimately make a small change that holds big potential to positively impact the environment.
Think that empty shampoo bottle is just a bottle? Think again. With just a rinse and a recycle, empty bath and beauty bottles can take on new life and return as hairbrushes, backpacks or even backyard play set.
The new Unilever Bathroom Recycling Index found that while a majority of Americans are aware that their empty bathroom bottles are recyclable, less than half report regularly bringing them to the bin. As a result, common bathroom products like shampoo, body wash and lotion bottles could be more likely to end up in landfills than their kitchen counterparts, contributing to the nearly 29 million tons of plastics sent to landfills each year!
Unilever – the maker of products including Dove®, Suave®, St. Ives®, Caress® and more – is stepping in to inspire Americans to clean up their act in the bathroom.
Beware the product hoarders: 1 in 5 Americans (20%) have more than 10 bathroom products in plastic bottles in their bathroom at a given time.
What gets Americans moving: Americans are more likely to go the distance to get a drink when thirsty, charge their phone, or answer a phone call than walk an empty plastic bottle from the bathroom to the recycle bin.
Battle of the sexes: More men (80%) reported recycling their empty bathroom bottles than women (74%).
Unilever can’t do this alone, and so the company has introduced the Unilever BrightFuture initiative.
What began as Project Sunlight in 2013 has evolved into a larger movement designed to bring Unilever’s purpose to life and inspire Americans to take small actions that add up to a big difference – whether that’s wasting less, sharing more, turning off the tap, turning on community activism or, simply, recycling – because everyone has a role to play in creating a brighter future.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Spread the word by sharing a photo of your bathroom empties being recycled on Twitter and Instagram using #ReimagineThat. Add #Sweeps to your post to be entered for a chance to win recycled, reimagined prizes.
Watch famous Internet Illusionist Zach King and others reimagine recycling and share their videos across your social channels.
Visit BrightFuture.Unilever.us to learn how you can help bridge the gap in bathroom recycling.
“Our scale and sheer volume of products present in American bathrooms puts us in a unique position to take on this issue.” said Gina Boswell, Executive Vice President of Personal Care, Unilever North America. “The average American household has eight products in plastic bottles in their bathroom. If we’re able to inspire those millions of people to recycle their empty body wash or lotion bottles, this small action can bring about transformational change.”
Unilever and the Ad Council, “we hope to help turn bathroom recycling into a daily norm.”
SWEEPSTAKES OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OVER. INTERNET ACCESS REQUIRED.
This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Twitter or Instagram. You understand that you are providing your information to the Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever and not to Twitter or Instagram. The information you provide will only be used in the event you are selected as a Sweepstakes winner or if you have indicated that you would like to receive additional information from Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever.
Sweepstakes Period: The Unilever #ReimagineThat Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes“) begins April 29, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET“) and ends June 9, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Sweepstakes Period“).
Eligibility: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older as of date of entry. Employees of Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever (the “Sponsor“), Don Jagoda Associates, Inc., their respective affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, suppliers, distributors and advertising, promotional and judging agencies (collectively, the “Sponsor and its Administrators“), and its affiliates and each of their respective employees, shareholders, directors, officers, members, assigns and agents and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate or win.
How To Enter: During the Sweepstakes Period, you may enter via Twitter.com or on your web enabled mobile device via the Instagram application (collectively, the “Site“) by uploading a photo showing off how you recycle in your bathroom with the hashtags #ReimagineThat and #sweeps (collectively, the “hashtags“) and tagging @UnileverUSA (the “Submission“). Each eligible Submission will receive one (1) entry into the corresponding Daily Sweepstakes Drawing and the Grand Prize Sweepstakes Drawing, as described below. Sweepstakes Entries will not be carried forward for subsequent Daily Sweepstakes Drawings, if any. Sweepstakes Entry must include a photo, the hashtags and tag to be eligible and must be 140 characters or less including the hashtags if entering via Twitter. For the purposes of this Sweepstakes, a “day” is defined as the 24-hour period beginning at 12:00 a.m. ET and ending at 11:59 p.m. ET, except for the first day of the Sweepstakes, which begins at 8:00 a.m. ET and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET. Your Submission must be uploaded in accordance with the Twitter Terms of Service (https://twitter.com/tos) or Instagram Terms of Use (http://instagram.com/about/legal/terms/). You must have an Instagram account to enter via Instagram, be a @UnileverUSA follower and have your account privacy settings set to “Off”. You must have a Twitter account to enter via Twitter, be a @UnileverUSA follower and have your account settings set to “unprotected” or “public”. By including the hashtags #ReimagineThat and #sweeps in your Entry, you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Potential winners will be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of the Instagram or Twitter account associated with the entry, if entering via Instagram or Twitter. All entry components submitted and Submissions uploaded (as applicable) shall herein be referred to as (the “SweepstakesEntry“). Limit one (1) Sweepstakes Entry person per day, regardless of method of Sweepstakes Entry. All Sweepstakes Entries must be unique. All Sweepstakes Entries must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 9, 2015, to be eligible for the final Daily Sweepstakes Drawing and Grand Prize Sweepstakes Drawing. The person uploading the Sweepstakes Entry will be deemed the entrant (the “Entrant“). Entrant must be the only person depicted in photo (if a person is depicted at all). Sweepstakes Entries will not be judged. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an Entrant, the Entrant will be deemed the name appearing on the Sweepstakes Entry. The Sweepstakes Entry must: 1) be complete to be eligible; 2) be the property of the Entrant. Sponsor has the sole discretion to determine whether a Submission qualifies as a Sweepstakes Entry. Any Sweepstakes Entry not in compliance with the above and which does not meet the requirements of these Official Rules will be disqualified. By entering, you understand and agree that your Submission may (in Sponsor’s sole discretion) be posted online for consumers to view on Sponsor-selected sites. Sponsor will only be posting select photos (in their sole discretion). Sponsor reserves the right to remove any posted Submissions, in its sole discretion, even if the Submission has already been made available to the public. Participation is subject to disqualification of all Sweepstakes Entries, if multiple accounts are used by the same person. As applicable, normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by Entrants’ online/mobile service will apply.
Photo Entry Requirements: By entering, you agree to waive any rights you may have to the Sweepstakes Entry submitted. The Sweepstakes Entry, or portion thereof, must not contain obscene, profane, lewd, defamatory or inappropriate content, or be disparaging to Sponsor, as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sweepstakes Entries must be in keeping with Sponsor’s image and may not be offensive, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, nor can it defame or invade publicity rights or privacy rights of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or proprietary rights. Entrants may not copy or otherwise plagiarize the Sweepstakes Entry from any source. All Sweepstakes Entries must be the sole, original work of the Entrants. Any Sweepstakes Entry or portion thereof that is, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, obscene, profane, lewd, defamatory, inappropriate, disparaging, offensive or contains proprietary right of any person living or deceased (including but not limited to rights of privacy or publicity or portrayal in a false light) or entity, or is otherwise objectionable, will not be considered and may disqualify the Entrant. Sweepstakes Entries should not contain any third party materials, or otherwise violate or infringe (or possibly infringe) any copyright, trademark, logo, mark that identifies a brand. Sponsor may blur or black out the infringing material, in their sole discretion. Sweepstakes Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Entrants and winner acknowledge and agree that their Sweepstakes Entries become the property of the Sponsor, which thereby has the right to edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, promote and otherwise use Sweepstakes Entries in any way it sees fit. If you do not have a Twitter account, visit www.twitter.com to create an account for free. If you do not have an Instagram account, visit www.Instagram.com to download the application to your mobile device. Instagram nor Twitter are affiliated with this Sweepstakes in any way and are not responsible for the administration of the Sweepstakes or the awarding of the prizes. No endorsement or approval of Sweepstakes by Instagram or Twitter is expressed or implied. Automated, script, macro or robotic Sweepstakes Entries submitted by individuals will be disqualified. Sweepstakes Entries may be posted on the Sponsor’s website, and may be posted on other non-affiliated websites, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Any Sweepstakes Entry not in compliance with the above and which does not meet the requirements of these Official Rules will be disqualified.
Daily and Grand Prize Sweepstakes Drawings: One (1) Daily Prize winner per day (42 total) will be randomly selected from all Sweepstakes Entries received during the corresponding day. Drawings will be conducted on or about May 6, 2015; May 13, 2015; May 20, 2015; May 27, 2015; June 3, 2015; and June 10, 2015 from among all eligible Sweepstakes Entries received per day during the preceding week. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be randomly selected from among all Sweepstakes Entries received during the Sweepstakes Period on or about June 10, 2015. The random drawings will be conducted by Don Jagoda Associates, Inc. (the “Administrator“), an independent judging organization whose decisions are final on all matters relating to the Sweepstakes. The odds of winning a Prize will depend on the number of eligible Sweepstakes Entries received during the corresponding day and overall.
Sweepstakes Prizes and Approximate Retail Values (“ARVs”):Grand Prize (1 total) A Sponsor-selected $500 gift card. Daily Prize 1 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products, a Sponsor-selected eco-friendly loofa sponge, and Sponsor-selected bath and shower gloves (ARV: $24.17). Daily Prize 2 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products, a Sponsor-selected eco-friendly beauty kit, and a Sponsor-selected eco-friendly jewelry roll (ARV: $67.01). Daily Prize 3 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products, a Sponsor-selected accessory organizer, and a Sponsor-selected travel bag (ARV: $53.83). Daily Prize 4 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products and a Sponsor-selected eco-friendly umbrella (ARV: $54.99). Daily Prize 5 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products and a Sponsor-selected backpack (ARV: $79.03).Daily Prize 6 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products and a Sponsor-selected tote bag (ARV: $50.64). Daily Prize 7 (6 total): A Sponsor-selected Prize Package, including Sponsor-selected Unilever products, a Sponsor-selected tote bag, and a Sponsor-selected canning jar travel drinking cup ($58.07). Gift cards subject to restrictions and expiration dates may apply. Prizes are awarded “as is” without any warranty or guaranty of any kind. Limit one (1) Prize per person. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor who reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the prize is unavailable.
General Rules: The Site’s computer timestamp is the official timekeeper for purposes of this Sweepstakes. Potential Sweepstakes Prize winners will be notified via comment on the winner’s Sweepstakes Entry. Potential Sweepstakes Prize winners then must follow the directions in the comment to claim the prize and complete registration within a time period specified by Sponsor or prize will be forfeited and Sponsor will have no further obligation to such winner and an alternate Sweepstakes Prize winner will be selected. Return of prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to reply to comment/email may result in disqualification and alternate prize winner will be selected. Prizes are nontransferable and no cash substitutions are allowed except by the Sponsor, who reserves the right to award a prize of equal or greater value. Prizes will be delivered within 6-8 weeks after winner confirmation. Sweepstakes winners and all Entrants, as a condition of entry into the Sweepstakes, agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its Administrators, each of their respective agencies, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, members, employees, agents, assigns, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Sweepstakes (collectively the “Released Parties“) from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with submitting an Entry or otherwise participating in any aspect of the Sweepstakes, the receipt, ownership or use of prize awarded or any typographical or other error in these Official Rules or the announcement or offering of the prizes. Winners assume all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused by participation in the Sweepstakes or use or redemption of the prizes. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission to use winners’ names, likenesses, Sweepstakes Entries and Submissions for promotional purposes (including any possible public relations opportunities) without further compensation except where prohibited by law. By entering, Entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these Official Rules. Sweepstakes Entries will be declared to be made by the authorized account holder of the Instagram/Twitter account or email address associated with the Sweepstakes Entry. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes; violates the Official Rules; acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner; or acts with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. The Released Parties are not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic communications, whether caused by the sender, by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes which may limit the ability to participate, or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the Sweepstakes Entries in the Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes Entries generated by script or bot are not eligible. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Sweepstakes if it cannot be completed as planned for any reason, including but not limited to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, technical failures or corruption of any sort. In such event, Sponsor will award the applicable prizes from eligible Sweepstakes Entries received per day and overall prior to cancellation as outlined above. Void where prohibited by law and subject to all federal, state and local laws. As a condition of entering the Sweepstakes, Entrant (or parent/legal guardian if entrant is a minor in his/her state of residence) agrees that: 1) under no circumstance will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential or any other damages, other than for out-of-pocket expenses; 2) all causes of action arising out of or connected with the Sweepstakes, or prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and 3) any and all claims, judgments, and award shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event will Entrant be entitled to receive attorneys’ fees or other legal costs.
WINNERS LIST: For the names of the Winners, available after July 9, 2015, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope by August 10, 2015, to: The Unilever #ReimagineThat Sweepstakes Winners, 100 Marcus Drive, Attn: AS, Melville, NY 11747.
Sponsor/ Administrator: The Sponsor of the Sweepstakes is Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever, 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. The Administrator of the Sweepstakes is Don Jagoda Associates, Inc., 100 Marcus Drive, Melville, NY 11747.
Thrift shopping has become “the cool kids” way of updating their wardrobe and I have always adored thrifting. It’s one of my favorite hobbies since the age of 15 and allowed me to express my individual style.
My dad could never understand my obsession with consignment/thrift shops. He gave me money for clothing but instead of spending it at McCraes (which is now Belks) I would ask my mom to drive me to the thrift shop.
I think it was the experience of understanding clothing construction that attracted me to this hobby. In the process of shopping, I learned a lot about fabrics and fixtures. I also learned how to properly care for clothing because some items need to be dry cleaned while others required fabric softener.
Thankfully my mom never rejected my obsession because she also enjoys thrifting. To this day we call it “the closet” and when I visit my parents we turn this into a major event. For us, it’s a bonding activity and a perfect opportunity to neglect the budget planner for a little while, and still somehow save money!
I do recognize that thrifting’s not for everyone but I think it’s about strategy. There’s an art to thrifting that many may not understand and some of us have the true knack of finding a good deal. I want to help those who may not understand how to thrift and share in this experience.
Thrifted Skirt, Handbag, Belt, and Dress
Step Number One: I read fashion magazines like Instyle or People StyleWatch to recognize what’s fashionable for the season. When I’m shopping, I will instantly gravitate towards that trendy pair of white seersucker pants hanging on the rack.
Step Number Two: Know your body type before shopping consignment/thrift stores. Entering a thrift store can be overwhelming because there’s so much merchandise. You want to select items that compliment your figure and NOT because it’s a designer blouse. Nothing’s worse than paying $12 dollars for something that doesn’t work and you can NOT take back to the store.
Step Number Three: Search for quality fabrics or what I like to call (this is my fashion degree moment) natural fibers. They tend to hold up well in the course of wearing and look chic.
Step Number Four: Always, Always, Always, Always, overlook the garment. Do not purchase anything without searching the garment from top to bottom. For example, if you have a blazer in your basket search the pockets for tears, look at the buttons to see if one’s missing, or whether there’s a hole in the fabric. This is a very important step to thrifting.
Step Number Five: This may come as a surprise but thrift shops actually have sale days. Check with the sales associates or look around the store for sales. Also, keep up with the store discounts; for example, if a ticket has a red sticker your item could be 50% off.
You’re probably asking what type of items have I found while thrifting? Well, you’ve actually seen a few of the items on this site but I’ve purchased a fur coat (my first one in graduate school) Louis Vuitton wallet, Ralph Lauren sweaters, BCBG pumps, vintage sunglasses and clutch purses, denim jeans, wool plaid swing coat (my favorite in college) knee boots, and the list goes on!
Nothing says “chic” better than mixing vintage couture and fabulous accessories.
It’s not secret that Sullivans is one of my favorite restaurants. Join them on Mother’s Day for Brunchstarting at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Menu selections include Skyy Bloody Marys and Hand Carved Prime Rib; ranging at $35 per person.
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