Anyhow, I have been hearing about store events Estée Lauder is putting on for women in Social Media, and I thought it was pretty cool. They are hosting free makeover seasons followed by a photo shoot, so you can use the picture in your online profiles. You also get a 10-day supply of foundation. Cool, huh? I know it’s also their feeble attempt to get us to buy more makeup, but they do have my most favorite bronzer ever and I just happen to need a new one.

At two locations they are also having an Expert Makeup Lesson with Rick DiCecca, and the North Texas session is one of them. Interested? You can find out if there will be a free Estée Lauder makeover session near you on their special events website. If you’re in Dallas, I might see you there!

It just goes to show how many other people have nothing better to do, too. The shirt has over 1500 reviews, and some have been “found useful” by thousands and thousands (upward of 16000) more times. Craziness! Some people have even gone as far as to make a video.

What do you do when you’re bored? Have you found the end of the Internet several times over? Do you have a time-suck goldmine? Share it with me! I’ve been sleeping, eating chicken noodle soup, and taking DayQuil for a week. Hopefully the end is coming soon. In the meantime, entertain me!

This giveaway is even more special, because the winner will get an autographed copy of Slice. Jealous. I hope another big fan is the winner. Is that you? Read on to find out how.

Five for Fighting’s songs have stories and substance. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t really listen to the words or is just looking for catchy tunes, you might not get Ondrasik’s appeal. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of bubblegum, popular music like Britney or Lady Gaga too. Should I hide under my desk now? I enjoy putting in one of his CDs when I am in a thoughtful or reflective mood.

Slice tells stories of love, loss, family, and life. “Note to the Unknown Solider” is one of my favorite songs on the album. I have no doubt that anyone who has friends or family in the military will love and relate to this song. I see it as a love note to all of our American soldiers. I also like the single “Chances,” though sad to say I have not heard it on the actual radio yet. Along with the digital download, I also received some additional press materials. Ondrasik says the song is, “all about taking the swing—there’s beauty in the scars.” I love that, and it is just an example of how he looks at things. You can for sure hear it in his music. Some may not agree, but I describe him as a mix of Elton John and Billy Joel. It’s a simpler kind of music where the piano and the vocals take center stage, and you don’t hear a lot of that anymore.

Want to check out Slice for yourself? Just answer one of the two questions below to win a special autographed copy. If you don’t win, you can always order your copy from Amazon.

Tell me your favorite Five for Fighting song from an album other than Slice or Tell me about a song that moves you.

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win Five for Fighting’s new album Slice from @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/5forfighting
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S. and Canada only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around November 14. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

The album is an assortment of cover songs and several original new songs. I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of covers unless the artist does something new with the song because it just ends up sounding like karaoke. Most of the time the original song and artist has the better version. In this case, Michael Bublé has such a different sound that you almost forget that these are covers. I really enjoyed his versions of You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You and Georgia On My Mind. He makes them completely his own, and it’s fun to hear his famous crooning voice take them on.

While covers are still not 100% my cup of tea, I did love the new song Haven’t Met You Yet, and it make me really wish he had a whole new album of music out. But alas, until then check out the teaser video for Haven’t Met You Yet below. It’s as if he’s singing just to you, but sorry girl’s… he’s taken (and not by me).

Here is the tracklisting for the album, and no, that’s not a cover of Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River, though that would have been a really interesting cover:

1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven’t Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes

Want to check out Crazy Love for yourself? Just answer one of the two questions below to win a copy:

Tell me your favorite Michael Bublé song from an album other than Crazy Love or Tell me your favorite song that has been covered on this album.

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win Michael Bublé’s new album Crazy Love from @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/crazylovecd
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S. only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around November 6. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

Thanks to Jodie, Mandy & Missy for all of their help. Next up will be the bachelorette party in a few weeks, and then Saturday, November 14 is the big day! Next week we will both have our final dress fittings. Say a prayer for me! I can’t believe it is getting so close.

I usually don’t like products that include nuts. I much prefer to snack on them alone rather than in other food. My two favorite nuts are honey roasted peanuts and cashews. I was curious to try these two flavors in particular because I like granola on it’s own too. Two wholesome snacks all-in-one? How can you go wrong?

I like that they are not overly sweet and seem really healthy- definitely better than chowing down on a bag of potato chips. They use 100% natural ingredients, too. I took a bag to work (they are re-sealable!) and Dave and I shared the rest at home. After eating a few clusters I felt satisfied and full. It’s definitely not one of those kinds of snacks that you feel compelled to eat the entire bag in one sitting, at least not for me. I still think I prefer to have my nuts and granola separate (or in a mix with raisins), but if you are a nut and granola fanatic, you’ll definitely want to give this snack a try.

Here’s your chance to win the awesome prize shown below.

Simply answer one of these questions in the comments (required):

What is your favorite variety of nut or What is your favorite element/s of nature?

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a “Snack Pack” from Nature Valley and @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/nutclusters
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S. only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around November 6. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

I’m not sure what possessed me to search for the calories in Starbucks drinks over the weekend, but I will never look at them the same again. During the summer I order the White Chocolate Mocha Frappucino Lite, which I know is under 150 calories (tall). Not too bad in my book. My beloved Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is… get ready… 540 calories. For 16 oz. For a cup of coffee. Are you shocked? I was. I even tried calculating the calories with no whip (because I don’t really care about that part) and skin milk, and it’s still in the high 400s. I can think of a lot of things I could actually eat for that amount of calories. Oy. I can’t even justify that as a Sometime Food or Drink.

It’s been nice knowing you, Starbucks. Really, really nice. We’re going to have to break up now. It’s not me, it’s you. Call me when you figure out how to make my drink for less than 200 calories.

Love,
Me

I felt this was a great album to sit down and listen to while relaxing, taking a long bath, reading a book, or enjoying a glass of wine. Whatever way you unwind, this is the perfect complement.

Want to check out At Home With Friends for yourself? Just answer one of the two questions below:

Tell me which artist on the album is your favorite or Tell me which song you are most looking forward to hearing.

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win Joshua Bell’s new album At Home With Friends from @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/joshuabellcd
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S. only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around October 28. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

If you don’t know, EA SPORTS Active is a fun and interactive workout game for your Nintendo Wii (and can also be used with a Wii Fit Balance Board). It’s actually a butt-whopping. For real. I never thought I could get so sore or sweaty from a video game, but it’s possible. Here’s a little more about the 5K Challenge:

Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? The EA SPORTS Active 5K Challenge is a great way to continue your journey to better health. Between Saturday, Oct. 17th and Sunday, Nov. 15th, we are encouraging you to take part in a 5K event in your community. There is a training plan on the EA SPORTS Active website, helping you prepare for a 5K using both EA SPORTS Active as well as walking and running. There are community leaders that we will connect you with who will be able to tell you which event they are recommending for your community.

And yes - anyone can do this. Really. From those of you who have never run before to those of you who compete…this is truly for everyone. It’s a great way to get to know people in your community and a chance to push yourself. You have come a long way using EA SPORTS Active Personal Trainer, and now it’s time to step it up a notch.

I started using EA SPORTS Active in July (along with Wii Fit), and by August I had lost 7 pounds. It has a 30 Day Challenge program, which actually kept me accountable for logging in each day and completing my tasks. This was great for training for the 5K because there are walking and jogging components, and the exercises vary each day and never get boring. I look forward to trying the EA SPORTS More Workouts when it comes out in mid-November.

Here are some more of the photos from our event on Saturday, October 17. By the way, it’s not too late to sign up and participate in a 5K in your community! You can also donate to my Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event in 2010.