Giveaway Ending TONIGHT!

This time, it's for real the ending time!!

I really hope you haven't forgotten about the giveaway going on here at The Element brought to you by none other then Max of Krafty Max Originals!

If you have forgotten, or your new here, let me refresh your memory :)

Win your choice of not one, but TWO pairs of gorgeous earrings from Krafty Max Originals!

If you haven't entered yet, I highly suggest you do-Giveaway ends TONIGHT.

Enter Here

Share-a-Post Sunday(2/28)

Welcome to Share-a-Post Sunday!

(Hang in there while I try to come up with an appropriate picture for this feature )

Share-a-Post Sunday is all about you guys-Please share your favorite weekly posts, whether they be written by you, or someone else. Maybe you have a particular interesting meme you want people to read about or a fun giveaway you need to advertise. Of course daily life, features, reviews, and shout outs are welcome too-The Sky is the limit :)

I do ask you keep it to a maximum of 1 to 2 posts to give others a chance to share!

Slapdash Sunday(2/28)

Slapdash Sunday is a day for your proverbial week 'leftovers.' Is there something you wanted to say, but just forgot? Is there something you want to write about, but isn't worth a whole page? Do you have a random thought, funny or otherwise that needs to be written down?

That is what Slapdash Sunday is for!

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So I have been officially dubbed Detective Kayla thanks to my buddy Matty of Matty Thoughts!


May I just say WHOO HOO...I've always thought I was a good observer with some serious deductive skills; Well that, and I try to use my common sense most of the time. Lol


I'm a bonafied Sherlock Holmes of the 21st century ;)









Natural Mommie has written an absolutely AMAZING post about the newest must haves for Spring and traveling-I'm absolutely in love with the strapless dress in her post ^.^

{Pictured to the Right}

If you have a moment, check it out HERE!










Okay I need everyone's help!!

I have an Oscar party to go to on the 7th of March and the hostess wants us to dress up as our
favorite movie actresses/actors...

I honestly have NO clue what I want to do >.<





My mother and I just got done with watching the gold metal curling championship and may I just say:

Congratulations Canada for winning the gold, but Norway's infamous argyle pants will live on!

I want a pair.

BADLY.
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Wanna be apart of Slapdash Sunday?

Grab the button below and blog along!

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Small Talk Six(2/27)-Care for Dinner?

From MomDot:

"We would like to invite everyone to join in on a new weekly meme on MomDot called “Small Talk Six!” Since weekends are generally a little slower around the blogosphere, we thought this would be a great way to have a quick, fun, interactive meme.

All you need to do is grab one of the graphics below for your “Small Talk Six” posts and your sidebar. Then make a short (or an elaborate) post on your blog in response to the assigned topic of the week (see list here).

You can respond to each topic with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, or 6 photos. Get the idea?"

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This week's Small Talk Six topic is:

6 famous people you would love to have dinner with

(just six!?)

~*!*~Ellen Page~*!*~




~*!*~The Dalai Lama~*!*~





~*!*~Emily & Zoey Deschanel~*!*~

(Yes, they count as 1 person LOL)





~*!*~James Rollins~*!*~





~*!*~The Great Betty White~*!*~





~*!*~Stephanie Meyer~*!*~

This is going to be one HECK of a great dinner party ;)
Happy Saturday!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Saturday's Picks(2/27)-Mellow Yellow

I'm in a colorful mood this week-So that being said, let's go with a color theme!?

I'm particularly fond of yellow, so let's show off a little product sunshine ;)

Enjoy!

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Vintage 80s New Wave Yellow Polka Dot Dress from VindemialVintage




$65.00

Small Green Birds Nest from JackieSalenger




$15.00

Stunning 3D Sunflower Ring Bearer Pillow from idotakeu




$26.99

Vintage Yellow Depression Glass Cream and Sugar Set from prettydarncute




$22.00

8x10 Lemons Print from papermoth




$18.00

Friday Follow(2/26)

My friend Lynn of Midday Escapades along with two other bloggers, One 2 Try and Hearts Make Families, have come up with one awesome meme called Friday Follow!

It's a very simple and fun way to connect with other bloggers like yourself and gain readership, as well as like-minded friends :)

If your interested in participating in this meme, just Click Here for more info.

And if your a new reader to The Eclectic Element, welcome!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Aloha Friday #7

From Kailani of Island Life:

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer."

I'm going to follow her lead, kick back, relax and see what you all have to say on this lovely Friday!

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Today's question is:

Does anyone have any experience with the FAFSA? If so, was it good, bad or just plain confusing?

My sister had to fill her's out before March in order to be considered for funding, so my mum asked me to do it for her-It was pretty easy going, but there was definitely a few things that confused me just a little bit >.<

All in all it turned out pretty decent though!


Have a wonderful Friday.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Featured Blogger Friday(2/26)-Second Time Around

Welcome to another Featured Blogger Friday where I bring you a new blogger each week!

That being said, since I started blogging, I've come to know many bloggers around the blogosphere and I've featured quite a few of those people, but I LOVE discovering new ones to share with you...Well new to me anyway ;)

Even though today's featured blogger is not new to the blogging world, she is fairly new to me and I'm thrilled to be able to share her with you!

Meet Rachel of Second Time Around.


Q. What’s your name and blog? What other information would you like to share?

My blog is called Second Time Around and I feature reviews and giveaways as well as ramble about my life.

Q. Why did you choose that name for your blog?

I am starting to go through my "seconds", trying to have our 2nd baby, buying our 2nd house, and eventually go through my 2nd pregnancy, and 2nd child. This is even my 2nd blog! So I feel like I am in my Second phase of life!

Q. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging with a personal blog about my son (right after he was first born) and then I discovered blog giveaways. After awhile, I decided I wanted to start my own blog to do reviews/giveaways...and Second Time Around was born!

Q. What kind of stuff do you cover with your blog? Is there a specific genre you write about or is the sky the limit?

I mostly write family friendly product reviews and giveaways and then I mostly ramble about my son and parenting advice (or asking for parenting advice).

Q. What is one must read post that you have written {Include Link}?

I don't know if it's a must read, but one of the most requested posts by readers was how my husband proposed: http://secondtimearound09.blogspot.com/2010/02/you-asked-for-it-my-proposal-story.html. I also have a bunch of great reviews and giveaways going on right now such as DownEast, Adorable Kinders, Vat19, Seventh Generation, etc.

Q. Name one thing you love about your blogging job.

I love being able to connect with so many different and wonderful people all in one place!

Q. Name one thing you’re not quite fond of about your blogging job.

Not having enough time to do all I want to do! I wish I didn't need sleep!

Q. What’s one random fact about you?

I LOVE going grocery shopping (I know a lot of people who hate it, but I look forward to my grocery shopping trips)

Q. Inspiration comes in many forms for different people. What inspires you?

My son, husband, and family are my inspirations! They make me who I am today! Other bloggers also inspire me in the blogging world!

Q. Where else can we find you(Personal Website, Etsy Shop, Twitter, Facebook, Etc.)?

You can also find me on Twitter: @tobinsmommy08 and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Second-Time-Around/256397876183

Health Update Thursday(2/25)

I come bearing good news on this Health Update Thursday-Well, okay, maybe not terribly exciting, good news, but it's good news none the less!

I am still finding myself recovering from last weeks bought with the little foreign invaders, which I lovingly (*she says that with considerable sarcasm*) started calling little shitheads-Unfortunately this week has proven how out of shape and deconditioned I am...

I mean, it's pretty bad >.<

I can't do much without getting winded, fatigued, or being in a considerable pain and discomfort-I know that a lot of this must be worked through to see a difference and I'm doing my best; It's just hard...

The prospect of a personal trainer came up in a conversation yesterday and I think it's a fantastic idea-I would love to be able to have a personal trainer to tell me what I need to do to start working my way back to health, but at the same time letting me know where that very thin line between overdoing it and excelling is.

I'm going to have to do some research, but I hope this can happen soon!

That's about all I have to report this week though-Like I said, nothing too terribly exciting in the way of health-Just taking it one day at a time :)

Have a fabulous Thursday everyone!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

P.s. Today is going to be light on postings-I'm SERIOUSLY far behind on a few reviews and emails so that is going to be my focus today!

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief *Movie Review*

• Directed By: Chris Columbus
  
• Writers: Craig Titley(Screenplay), Rick Riordan(Novel)
  
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rated: PG for action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language.
• Language: English
  
• Company: Fox 2000 Pictures
  

Movie Synopsis

Percy Jackson(Logan Lerman) is, by all accounts, a normal teenage boy-He has a best friend, Grover(Brandon T. Jackson), an adoring mother and complete ass of a stepfather. He is enrolled at his local high school and has an abnormal love for being in the water. As for his biological father, all Percy knows of him is that he left when Percy was real young, so there isn't much memory of him.

On a field trip to the local museum, Percy runs into something that he can't quite explain, and just as one life dissipates, another is reborn-That, and he realizes that things are NOT as they appear. Percy learns his life is something beyond his wildest dreams: He's descended from the Greek Gods(Poseidon to be more specific)!

Of course, what is good news without the bad? This other world he's just discovered is under the assumption (don't assume cause it makes an ass out of u and me LOL) that he has stolen something very valuable and will stop at nothing to get it back (for both good and not so good purposes).

Thrown into a camp for 'special' people like himself, Percy, Grover and their new friend Annabeth, daughter of Athena(Alexandra Daddario) make plans to sneak off and find whomever is responsible for the stolen object and the framing of Percy Jackson-Oh, and of course an impending war between all of the Greek Gods!

My Thoughts:

I had very high hopes for this movie when I first saw the trailer-From some people's accounts, I had heard the movie being referring to as 'the new Harry Potter,' so of course I'm going to have some high hopes for this film!

However upon seeing the movie, those high hopes pretty much jumped from their tall pedestal and did a swan dive right smack dab to the floor...

The only thing good about this movie is the casting; They had some pretty strong actors and actresses throughout this movie. However, that's where the good and decent ends.

The plot is decent, but DEFINITELY not thought out as good as it could have been-This movie could have been amazing with a big, fat capitol A, but it completely lacked any sort of depth and demention. They could have put SO much more into it, which is what angers me the most!

All in all, the whole movie went by way too fast and lacked in details that could have made it great. If you have kids between the ages of 7 to about 12, I think they would enjoy this movie, but other then that, I don't suggest spending the money for a ticket.

**This is an opinion solely based on my thoughts and opinions of the movie in question and no one elses. I was not influenced one way or another to write the subject matter in this review, so if you don't like it or don't agree with it, that is your choice and I fully respect it so please extend me the same curtsy**

You're All Too Kind!

Can you imagine!?

MORE awards, a feature, and a vlog shout out :)

As the title states, you guys are all too kind to little, ol' me! I'm seriously feelin' the love this week!

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My oh-so-sweet and incredibly kind friend Melissa over at Outnumbered 3 to 1 featured me and my Etsy jewelry shop on her site!

I'm so honored to be featured yet again-Let me tell you, it's kind of surreal to see yourself on another person's site. LOL

Please head on over to her site and have a look around and if you happen to catch My Feature, well, hopefully you'll spend a minute or two to read it!

Thanks so much Mel for having me ^.^


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If your a Monday Mingler, you know it's all about questions and vlogging-What I personally love about the videos is each person put's their own special flair on their own mingle.

Well, imagine my TOTAL surprise when I was mentioned in Jenine of Badger Mom's Monday Mingle vlog for her weekly handmade shout outs!

I just have to thank her again-She's such an amazing (not to mention quite funny) individual! I had no idea how much we both had in common :D

If your interested, you can view the video HERE.


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Thanks for this lovely Sunshine Award goes to NAME of Coupon Clippin' Mommy-NAME is such a wonderful person and has some great information on her blog! You can find everything you could possibly be looking for: giveaways(located on her right-hand sidebar), freebies, coupons, and deals, reviews and features, and of course daily life posts :)

Go ahead and check her out!

Since I've already been given this award in the past, I'm going to skip on passing it out.


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I got the Beautiful Blogger Award from my beautiful friends over at Live for Life (which, by the way, is an amazingly-fabulous blog chocked FULL of useful information). To accept this award, a few things must be done in return:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Pass this award onto 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and think are fantastic
3. Contact bloggers and let them know
4. State 7 things about yourself

Okay, so here are the 7 things, and I'm going to try to state things I haven't revealed yet:

1. The only type of pain reliever that works with me is Excedrin PM-No matter what I take, I build up an intolerance to it and it will quite working within a day or so >.<

2. I have a few different key sayings, but the most frequent quote out of my mouth is 'Oh, Mother of God.'


3. I'm a list maker-I'll make lists for pretty much anything just because it helps me remember what I need to do. LOL


4. I'm prone to serious klutziness and moments of blondness.


5. I'm turning 21 this year and I'm debating on whether I want to do anything for the milestone occasion, or just let it pass without a big 'who-ha'


6. I'm a right handed gal, although sometimes I wish I was a south paw just to go against the crowd.


7. I've had my drivers license since I was 17, but I don't drive(the sporadic loss of feeling in my legs has us a little skeptical in that department LOL).


Seeing as it's late and I should be getting to sleep, I think I'm going to be a wee bit lazy for this one award-Well that, and the fact that all my blogging friends are beautiful, so they all deserve this special award!

Please take it and display it proudly on your site as a token of appreciation from me :)


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Thanks everyone for your continual support.
I definitely feel the bloggy love each and every day!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Win It Wednesday(2/24)

~*!*~Win It Wednesday~*!*~

Win a Copy of Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman!!


Ends March 4, 2010


Enter Here

Win a Copy of Whip it Starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page!!


Ends February 28, 2010


Enter Here











Win a Copy of Songs from the Heart by Celtic Woman!!


Ends March 1, 2010


Enter Here

Have giveaways you want to advertise?

Link them below!!

It Always Pays to Double Check...

I have to applaud State Farm Insurance for coming up with these seemingly simple, yet TOTALLY flippin' true and hilarious commercials...

Give them both a watch-I guarantee you get a good chuckle ;)

Inspirational Tuesday(2/16)

"To do is to be - Descartes, To be is to do - Voltaire, Do be do be do - Sinatra."

--Unknown

I thought a little pick me up first thing in the morning would start off your day right-It sure did for me ;)


What inspires you today?

Monday Mingle(2/22)

Welcome to February 1st's Monday Mingle sponsored by Jennifer 'Speedy' over at Eighty MPH Mom!!

What is Monday Mingle?

If your interested in participating, Monday Mingle is basically where a bunch of fellow bloggers get together and answer a few pre-specified questions through video blog, then post their video on their blog and link it up so other people can see your video!

If your interested for more info, check out This Post-Happy Vlogging Everyone!

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Our questions for this week:

1. Name your 5 favorite movies

2. What is the most requested/favorite meal in your house?

3. Is your husband/partner/significant other into sports? If so, does it irritate you when he/she watches, or do you join in?






I'm sorry about the editing-I was indeed up until about 4 am this morning editing and publishing this video, so I was probably just in a hurry to finish and go to bed. LOL Along the line of apologies, I'm sorry for the stupid shaking camera; I don't have a place to put the camera while recording so I have to hold it the whole time and my room is really cold, so I was shivering as I recorded >.<

Until next week!!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Car Adventures

So last week before I got sick(I believe it was the day before Valentine's Day), we had to take a trip to Walmart so my sister could pick up a few stray things she needed for the present she was going to give her boyfriend the very next day.

I wanted to get out of the house, so I got dressed and went with them. However, after standing for about 5 minutes in the candy isle in Walmart, I knew BAD idea-I finally asked for the keys to the car and sat in there until they were finished.

Of course Walmart wasn't the only stop they had to make, so again, we stopped for a few odd and end groceries and I stayed in the car-It's quite interesting what you can do and hear when your alone in a tinted window car. I got bored and was lucky enough to find my camera in my purse!! Here are a few random shots I took for your guys entertainment...

This picture was from a particularly delicious organic apple bought via the grocery store.

My fingers!
(please excuse my chewed cuticles Lol)

My dad loves Cabela's.

This was the pattern from my sister's jacket; I thought it was really pretty.

My mother's favorite memory from childhood is Snoopy and the Peanuts gang-She even collects Snoopy paraphernalia!

My sister absolutely LOVES after dinner mints, so I wasn't surprised when she came out of the store with a package of them :)

Hope you enjoyed these very random pictures!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Mailbox Monday(2/22)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week...

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You know me and my school supplies-That is exactly why I HAD to order this freebie pen.

Ah, I love the look of ink on a freshly new notebook ^.^

I was absolutely thrilled the other day when I got an email telling me I had won a book!

(Ya'll know how much I love books)

Thanks to Vera over at Luxury Reading, I scored my own copy of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg :)

Hopefully I'll be able to get to this book soon-I'm STILL working on those books I got in January.

They W.I.L.L be done!!

I'm one of those people who would love to learn one, two or even three languages and if given the chance would TOTALLY take it-That being said, I was absolutely thrilled when I stumbled upon this freebie a week or so ago!

I guess the Rosetta Stone Company was providing free demo CDs to whichever language you choose, so I just had to take advantage of the opportunity!!

If your curious, I selected Japanese :)









FINALLY-My tickets to Summerfest have arrived.

God, I love the internet-It's the only place where you can take a quick survey and be rewarded for it....

In my case, two tickets to Summerfest 2010 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now all I need to know is what bands are going to be there and I'll be one happy music-lovin' camper!

I don't know if any of You Remember, but way back a few weeks ago I won an Instant Win Game for Nature's Valley Dark Chocolate and Peanut Granola Bars-Well they came in the mail Saturday!!

I handed them over to my sister's boyfriend cause unfortunately I couldn't eat them, but it's all good :)







Thanks to Bekki of Pinkbird.net (or I should say PinkBird on Etsy to be more exact), I got some charms I've been tirelessly searching for for quite some time!!

I can't wait to finally finish the custom bracelet I've been working on for a few months now >.<>

Last but most certainly not least, I received my COMPLETELY awesome package of PIF beads I won over at Forbes Farm Gifts curtsy of Sandy-Seriously, I didn't really realize what I had won until it arrived at my door!!

I just can't stop riffling through the beautiful packages, taking out the numerous shaped and sized beads and just letting my imagination wander to what I'm going to create...

It's going to be fabulous.






What did you get in the mail this week?