CD Review - Harry Connick, Jr. Your Songs

I am originally from South Louisiana. Did you know Harry Connick, Jr. is originally from New Orleans? I have always been a fan of his. I'm loyal to my Louisiana peeps. It's kind of a "local boy done good" thing :) Not to mention...he's an excellent musician!

When One2One Network offered me a chance to review Harry's new album (yes, we are on a first-name basis...I WISH! LOL!), I knew I couldn't go wrong.

Here is the track listing for this CD (with the original artist in parenthesis):

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)

Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)

Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)

And I Love Her (The Beatles)

(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)

Besame Mucho

The Way You Look Tonight

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)

Your Song (Elton John)

Some Enchanted Evening

And I Love You So (Don McLean)

Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)

Smile (Charlie Chaplin)

Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

This album is yummy...Harry's voice is so dreamy and soothing. Trust me, you've never heard Besame Mucho quite like Harry sings it. This is a great album for adults. I also let my kids listen to it. They are now Harry fans because "he's from Louisiana like mommy!" Funny!

Check out Harry Connick, Jr.'s Facebook page. You can buy this album on the web at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write a review of this CD, positive or negative. I did receive a copy of the CD free to review.

CD Review - Joshua Bell At Home with Friends

Honestly, I had never heard of the musician Joshua Bell before I was offered the opportunity by One2One Network to review his CD, "At Home with Friends". So, when I got the CD in the mail, I must tell you I was pleasantly surprised and have become a new fan!

Here is the album tracklisting (Originally performed by):

I Loves You Porgy featuring Chris Botti, trumpet

Come Again featuring Sting, vocals

Oblivion featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon

Cinema Paradiso featuring Josh Groban, vocals

Para Tí featuring Tiempo Libre, various

My Funny Valentine featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals

Maybe So featuring Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush and Mike Marshall, strings

Grieg: Sonata No. 3 featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)

Eleanor Rigby featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals

O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair featuring Nathan Gunn, baritone

Il Postino featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon

Left Hand Song featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals

Chovendo Na Roseira featuring Dave Grusin, piano

Look Away featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin

Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar

I'll Take Manhattan featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

If you haven't figured it out by the album art, Joshua Bell plays the violin and is accompanied by the musicians listed above, who either sing or also play another instrument. Each tune is different. Some are slow and relaxing, and some are funky and upbeat. Moms, this is a great CD to enjoy when you are done with the children's CDs and want to listen to something grown-up! My favorite song on the CD is My Funny Valentine. I love Kristin Chenoweth. It was a pleasant surprise to hear her on this CD. Learn more about Joshua Bell on Facebook! You can purchase the CD on Amazon.com here.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write a review of this CD, positive or negative. I was provided a free copy of the CD to sample. These are my honest opinions.

Softlips Lip Conditioner Review and Giveaway

I was recently sent an envelope with a variety of Softlips Lip Conditioners to sample. Softlips Lip Balm with SPF 20 new flavors this year include Mint with Hint of Vanilla and Wildberry. The new Winter limited edition flavors, which are the ones I tried and LOVED, include Sugar & Spice, Sugar Plum Berry, Winter Mint and Sugar Cookie. These lip balms are light yet effective. There is no greasy buildup or too-medicinal burning sensation. The calming, soothing properties complement the yummy flavors so well. They're just a little taste of the holidays without all the calories! As a matter of fact, these would make great stocking stuffers!

I have a treat for my readers too! I have a set of the new organic line of the Softlips PURE, 100% natural, USDA-certified organic lip balms to give away. There are four new flavors: papaya, peppermint, acai berry and chai tea. I also have honeydew and pomegrante flavors to give away!

Make sure you keep up to date on the latest from Softlips by fanning them on Facebook.

How can you win and keep your lips soft and smooth all winter? Well, just leave a comment below and tell me which flavor you would most like to try! That's it. You can get an extra entry by becoming a follower of my blog. Just be sure to leave me an additional comment to let me know. The drawing for the winner will be at midnight on 10/25/2009.

Disclaimer - I was not paid for a review, positive or negative, of this product. I received the lip balms as described to sample for review and to give away.

My Little Pony DVD Winner

Here's the winner of the My Little Pony DVD....

bluephoenixlf said...

My favorite is Rainbow Dash.

Congrats! I will be contacting you by email to get your shipping info.

Menu Plan Monday

Happy Monday! This week I am trying something different. Instead of planning which meals I will cook on certain days, I am going to come up with a list of meals and cook as I go. Sometimes it seems if I don't get to cook a certain meal on the "right" day or if we skip a day for eating out or leftovers, the plan gets messed up for the whole week. So, let's see how this system works this week. Does anyone out there do it this way? Do you prefer this way, or do you prefer planning meals by the day and sticking to that plan? Leave a comment below!

Okay...Here's the plan:

Steak, Yellow Rice, Black Beans
Tortilla Soup, Wheat Biscuits
Grilled Chicken, Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Spaghetti, Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Manwich, Potato Salad
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Hopefully, leftovers 1 or 2 days!

Review - My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure

When I was growing up in the 80s, My Little Pony toys were all the rage. It amazes me how they are making a comeback! I wish I had saved my collection...my daughters would be playing with them today!

A new DVD, My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure, will be available on October 13, 2009. Here is a little info about it:

"My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure follows Pinkie Pie and all her pony friends on a fun-filled adventure as they discover that friendship can make wishes come true. All the ponies can't wait for the Winter Wishes festival where the Wishing Star grants each pony one special wish. But when the Wishing Star disappears, they go on a journey to find it. Will they make it back in time for the festival? Find out by joining Pinkie Pie and all her pony friends on this magical journey of discovery."

I received a free review copy recently from Shout! Factory and Hasbro. My little girls really liked the DVD! It also features 6 Sing-A-Longs, 4 Fun Activities, and more fun extras.

I also received a second copy of the DVD to give away to one of my lucky readers! Just leave one comment below and tell me which My Little Pony is your (or your child's) favorite! That's all you have to do! Good luck!

Rules: This My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure giveaway ends on October 18, 2009, at 10 pm EST. One winner will be selected using random.org, After being notified by email, the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is provided, a new winner will be selected. Make sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win.

Disclaimer - I was not paid for a review (positive or negative) of this product. I did receive a free copy to review and one to give away, as previously stated.

Menu Plan Monday

Good grief! I have really fallen off the blogging wagon! I am getting back on track now...starting with Menu Plan Monday! Stay tuned...lots of product reviews coming soon!

Here's the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Tortellini Soup

Tuesday - Tacos, Spanish Rice

Wednesday - Chicken Spaghetti

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Cranberry Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday - Eat out!

Sunday - TBD

Question of the week: What's your favorite soup recipe? It's getting colder here in Tennessee so I am looking for new soup recipes! Leave a comment below with the recipe or a link!