Transition complete!

I've gotten everything moved over to my new blog, so come visit me at amberiam.wordpress.com!

Slack-Free September

Welcome to the new blog! I'm going to work on exporting all of the Blogger posts here so everything will be in one place. I put that item on my to-do list and as I started reading over the list, I realized that there were a lot of little things that I've been putting off. I'm sure a lot of you can relate here. You get the big, recurring tasks finished, but the little things fall through the cracks. If that sounds familiar to you, join me for Slack-Free September!

Starting tomorrow, September 1, I'll be working to complete 30 tasks off my to-do list (1 per day). I'm devoting 30 minutes to each task, but I think a lot of them won't take nearly that long (but some of them may take a little longer, so it'll balance out).

So why am I posting this? For one thing, I want accountability. I want people to harass ask me about my progress, and I don't want to embarrass myself. Also, by posting this, I hope that I will inspire some of you to work on those perky little nagging tasks that never seem to get checked off the list. I believe in the power of momentum. Once you start finishing little things, that gives you the momentum to take on the bigger things. That's the principle behind Dave Ramsey's debt snowball method, and I think it can be applied to every other area of your life!

Here are my 30 tasks:

1. Export Blogger posts to this blog
2. Trim monster shrub by mailbox
3. Clean off bar area
4. Clean up spare bedroom
5. Clean up workout room
6. Clear off laundry room counter
7. Sell vacuum
8. Clean up area behind couch
9. Make eye doctor appointment
10. Organize seasonal decorations
11. Get prices for trash pickup
12. Take plastic to dump
13. Change burned out bulbs in chandelier and laundry room
14. Sew buttons on husband's shorts
15. Clean out makeup and nail polish
16. Clean out clothes bin
17. Take bags to Goodwill
18. Clean out car #1
19. Clean out car #2
20. Put away summer clothes/shoes
21. Put solar lights by sidewalk
22. Order electronic transcripts from grad school
23. Find headphones
24. Update songs on iPod
25. Hang dry erase board in office
26. Back up phone pictures to computer
27. Back up computer to external hard drive
28. Paint kitchen wall
29. Sign up for auto bill pay for water bill
30. Clean out work folder (the lone, non-time sensitive work task I've got right now)

I'll update every Monday in September with my progress. Let me know if you plan to join me, even if you're doing it on a smaller scale. Here's to a slack-free September for all of us!

I'm Moving!

I'm packing up this blog and heading to Wordpress! I'm ready to start blogging more often and move into the realm of an actual blogger, and I feel like Wordpress offers more opportunities for that than Blogspot does. Join me amberiam.wordpress.com!

Summertime Slacking

I have been lazy this summer.

Besides not posting anything here since the end of June, I've also neglected my personal and professional to do lists, thinking that I still had "plenty of time" to finish everything before the end of August.

Ha.

Honestly, it's always like this. I make a huge list for work projects and home projects and fun stuff, and every year I proclaim that this is the year I will do all of these things.

Humph.

I guess there's not really a point to this post, other than to say I'm ready to start blogging again. I have a list of ideas and a lot of nearly finished drafts that I need to get together and publish. I also have ideas about how I want to improve this little blog and help it grow.

So, if you're out there and still reading, thanks. I'll be back soon!

It's Summer!!

Saturday was the first day of summer, and as I've done with fall, winter, and spring, I wanted to celebrate the good things about summertime!

1. Watermelon: I could eat my weight in watermelon. It's the most delicious fruit in the world, nay, the universe. So far this summer I've gone through a mere two watermelons by myself, but we still have plenty of time.

2. More daylight: More daylight = more time outside for the crazy dog. More time outside = less craziness inside. Win-win situation!

3. Laying by the pool: My parents have a pool that I'm planning to come spend the day at on July 4. This was really a cautionary note for my mom...

4. Calmer days at work: During the summer, things get a lot calmer and quieter at work. It's a good opportunity to catch up on things that I put off during the academic year or to undertake new projects that turn out to be a lot bigger than you anticipated (inventory...sigh...)

5. Fireflies: Or lightning bugs, as they can be called. Fireflies make me so happy. I think I've always associated them with summer, so when I see them, I know that it's finally summertime! Also, K dog constantly tries to catch them, so that's more entertainment for him (and me!).

6. Sunshine: After going through the longest winter known to mankind (and womankind and dogkind). it was so nice to see sunshine again! There's something about a sunny day that just makes everything seem like it's going to be okay. And, sunny days are ideal for laying by the pool... ;-)

7. My birthday!: I had to save the best for last! I may be too old to get so excited about my birthday, but I don't care. It's my birthday! It only comes once a year! It's in mid-July, and I'll be glad to give gift ideas if you're so inclined. ;-)

I've got a new feature coming up on Monday and a new series starting next Wednesday, so escape the heat with some cool reading...aw yeah, I just said that....

Short product review + Giveaway winner!

In my last post, I had a lot of products to talk about from Influenster and BzzAgent. I had so many products to review that I didn't have a chance to try all of them! Over the weekend, I tried two more of the Influenster products- the PRFOOT Triad Orthotic Shoe Inserts and the Aqua Spa Relax Body Creme (Lavender and Chamomile scented).

I wore the inserts on Saturday to do an hour long workout at the gym. I also wore them for a 3 mile run/walk (definitely more walking than running!) afterwards. I didn't affix them to my shoes because I wanted to make sure they would work well for me, and I'm also going to need new shoes in the next couple of months, so I wanted to be able to transfer them. Since they weren't affixed, the left insert was a little uncomfortable because I moved it when I put that shoe on. However, besides that discomfort, I really liked the inserts! I liked that they didn't cover the entire shoe but still felt like they supported my whole foot. They provided a good amount of cushioning, so my feet weren't sore after exercising. I'll be using these from now on!

I used the lotion before bed last night. It went on smoothly, and my skin immediately felt softer. I liked the scent, but I didn't feel like it lasted long enough. I did have a hard time getting out of bed this morning though, so maybe I was more relaxed than I realized! Aqua Spa also makes a bath/shower gel with this scent. I may purchase that to use with the lotion to see if the scent lasts longer.

Now, for the fun stuff! There were two entries to the giveaway- thanks Lena and Clara! I let my husband act as the random number generator since there was a small number of entries. He decided to leave it completely up to chance by rolling a dice. He decided that if it was an odd number, then comment number one (Lena's) won, and if it was an even number, then comment number two (Clara's) won. He rolled, and it landed on....

(Building suspense...insert drumroll here...)

Three! Congratulations Lena! I'll send you a message with the gift card code! If you buy something for that precious baby boy, send me a picture! =)

Summer Fun Products from BzzAgent and Influenster

[HEY! Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card. No one has entered yet, so you'll probably win! =)]

As a member of BzzAgent and Influenster, I receive free products in exchange for my honest opinion. Lately, I've received a few items that are going to help our summer be more fun!

From Influenster, I received the "Go VoxBox." Here's what it had in it (ignore the fact that I put everything on the stove to take a picture!).

Contents:

PRFOOT Pedi-Rock

Blue Diamond Blueberry Almonds

PRFOOT Triad Orthotic Shoe Inserts

Vitamin Shoppe Fit N' Full Shakes in French Vanilla, Swiss Chocolate, and Fresh Berries

Vitamin Shoppe Shaker Bottle

Aqua Spa Relax Body Creme in Lavender and Chamomile 

Playtex Sport Tampons

Coupon for Mueller yogurt

I haven't used everything yet, but I've enjoyed everything I have used! The shakes tasted a lot better than I thought they would. I did notice that the chocolate blended better than the vanilla. I haven't tried the berry flavor yet, so I'm not sure how well it will blend. The shaker bottle works well with no leaks or sweating. The lid is a little tough to snap down, but once it's sealed, it keeps anything from spilling. The almonds were good, but they were a little sweeter than I expected. They may taste better mixed in with plain almonds or another unflavored food. I used another one of the products, but I'll spare you the details of that! ;-) I'm planning to use the inserts the next time I run, so hopefully they'll help me go lightning fast (ha!). 

Currently, I have four open BzzAgent campaigns: Silk Protein-Fiber Almond Milk, Bic Soleil Glow Razors, Coppertone Clearlysheer Sunscreen, and Summer Favorites at Kroger (which included Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzel Pieces and Rolled Guacamole Tortilla Chips). 

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of any of the products when I unpacked the boxes. Sorry!

The first product I tried was the Protein + Fiber Almond Milk in Original flavor. I have been drinking almond milk instead of dairy milk since February, so I was really excited about this campaign! I usually add my almond milk to coffee, tea, or protein shakes, so I don't know how this tastes by itself. However, it tasted great mixed in with all of my usual drinks. Plus, the added fiber helped keep me full just a little bit longer. And, not to be TMI here, but it didn't do anything funky to my stomach (hey, that's important info to know!). The only downside was that I couldn't find this in Publix, so I had to go to Kroger for it, which can sometimes be a not-so-fun experience. I'll definitely buy this again!

The second product I tried was the Soleil razor. Like most women, I find shaving a pain in the leg (instead of a pain in the neck...get it...heh). Now that it's warm out, I have to shave even more often, so I'm glad I had the chance to try the Soleil razor because it lasts longer than the double blade store brand razors I usually use! The Soleil has three blades, which I didn't think would make a big difference, but it does. It seems to give a closer shave that lasts just a hair (ha) longer than my other razors. It also has a lubricating strip with Vitamin E and aloe, so your legs get a little extra moisturizing when you use it. That's never a bad thing!

The third product I tried was the sunscreen. I received two different types- Clearlysheer for Sunny Days and Clearlysheer for Beach and Pool. Since I haven't had the chance to go to the beach or pool yet this year (BOOOOOO), I used the Sunny Days formula. It went on light and had a good odor; I was glad to have a sunscreen that didn't smell like coconuts or that had a telltale "sunscreen smell." I tend to break out a lot in the summer also, but this sunscreen didn't make me feel like my pores were clogged. I'm not always the best about remembering to put on sunscreen, but I'm going to make more of an effort since I have a good one to use now!

The fourth and fifth products I devoured tried were the pretzel pieces and tortilla chips. Okay, here's my confession. I've been doing a couple of challenges at the gym since the end of January, and I'm supposed to be eating cleaner. All of the clean eating went out the window during the three days it took me to destroy these snacks. Oops! There's nothing healthy about these snacks, but they would make a great side for cookout food or a good afternoon snack. I also received coupons for Big K soda and Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream, but I haven't redeemed those yet. 

I know this was a pretty long post, but if you're still with me, take a moment to enter the giveaway and then take more than a moment to purchase one or more of these products!