That's Not Cool Hot Pockets!

Lunch is my favorite part of the work day. It is right up there with recess when I was in elementary school.

Sometimes, more like all the time, my co-workers and I take advantage of all the great restaurants and carry-out locations near our building. We spend way too much money on lunch, but we also spend way too much time at work...or so it seems that way. Eating great food is a reward. However, I am beginning to bring my lunch to work each day to save a few pennies.

Welcome, Thursday, February 25, 2010. I entered the break room, grabbed my box of Hot Pockets, opened them, and this is what I saw...

...one clothed Hot Pocket and a naked Hot Pocket. Where they do that at?!

Needless to say, I took a picture of it, and immediately posted to Facebook. We consume a lot of Hot Pockets in our home, so this was a huge disappointment. I am going to give them a call when I retrieve my box from the freezer at work.

I mean, no sleeve and no wrapper?! Someone was obviously asleep on the line that day.

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I Am An Official The View Brand Ambassador

A few weeks ago, Mom Central sent out an e-mail giving its members the opportunity to become a Brand Ambassador for The View. I jumped at the chance, even though I knew several people would apply. I filled out the survey, clicked the submit button, and the rest is history.

Then, last Thursday, I received an email from Mom Central stating that I was chosen as a Brand Ambassador for The View. Needless to say I was excited to be a part of a show that I have spent years watching. I felt like an insider. I felt exclusive. I felt like I was on a team. And I was, I am, and will be for the next four weeks.

As The View Brand Ambassador, I will:

Get the inside scoop on upcoming guests/story lines for The View

Have the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the ABC Daytime marketing team.

Connect with other uber-fans of The View

Bring my blog readers, Twitter followers, and other network friends the latest on everything concerning The View

The View premiered on August 11, 1997, and there is a reason the show has been around for over a decade. I was just a mere sophomore in high school, but I remember stumbling across the show. It was intriguing to watch a group of opinionated women discuss some of the most controversial topics. To me, it was like being in the living room with my closest family and friends. And for this reason, I am a fan of The View for life.

Although The View has become the Destiny's Child of daytime television for changing co-hosts over the years, the group of women now are phenomenal. Just in case you live under a rock, the co-hosts of The View are:

• Barbara Walters
• Joy Behar
• Elisabeth Hasselback
• Sherri Shepherd
• Whoopi Goldberg (does not have a Twitter account...yet!)

Make sure you follow these women on Twitter, as well as the show (@theviewtv). Follow the View Brand Ambassador tweets using the hash tag, #TheViewMoms.

The campaign is underway. You can catch-up some of our tweets by searching for #TheViewMoms on Twitter. I will be tweeting from my account, @IamKeonte or @KeonteLSmith. Be sure to follow.

I cannot wait to see what the next four weeks have in store. Hope you will come along for the ride. Remember, if you miss an episode of The View, you can always watch them on the official site at: http://theview.abc.go.com/.

Disclosure:
“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

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CLOSED: Old Navy Weekly $50 off $100 Coupon Giveaway (10 Winners)

Have ya seen colors are bursting at Old Navy with the Item of the Week! Women’s printed tanks, available 2/19-2/25, come in a super selection of styles like big blocks of color or pretty patterns that’ll look great with your new jeans. And they’ll layer perfectly with your new spring sweater or stylish jacket. Add a dangly necklace and you’re good to go – wherever you want. And can you believe they’re just $6 (Reg. $12.50)?

I've said it several times before...I absolutely love Old Navy. It is one of those stores that, no matter what I am looking for, I can always find "it" and more. I spend hours (yes, I love shopping that much) in the store browsing through the racks for all the latest fashions. Now that there is a site dedicated to bringing you the greatest steals and deals, I have even more incentive to visit my favorite store.

Mommy 2k shopping at Old Navy...as usual

Welcome, OldNavyWeekly.com -- Old Navy’s new weekly coupon hunting site.

Here, you can perform various tasks to uncover hidden coupons on the site. It may be something as simple as clicking a shoe on one of the mannequins to reveal a money-saving coupon. You can find as many coupons as you want, but you are only allowed to use one. What makes it even more exciting is the fact that you can share a coupon with one of your friends. How's that for "paying it forward"?

I won a coupon last week through a blog giveaway. I was able to snag the below items for a total of $56 (last week's ITEM OF THE WEEK were Lace-Front V-Neck Camis...I purchased three of them @ $2 a piece):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway from Mommy 2K

Win
10 lucky readers will win:

• $50 0ff $100 coupon (redeemable 2/19-2/25)

Mandatory Entry

• Leave a comment on this post answering the following question: what will you wear with the Women’s printed tanks: jeans or khakis?

Additional Entries

• Follow my blog
• Tweet this: 10 winners. $50 off $100 Old Navy coupon from @IamKeonte http://bit.ly/M2KON Ends 2/18.
• Follow @IamKeonte on Twitter
• Follow my blog through Networked Blogs
• Subscribe to my blog through an Email Subscription
• Complete any other entry...Digg, Stumble, Tweet, whatever you think of!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Be sure to leave a valid email in your entry. A printable, one-time use coupon will be sent to the winner's email. Giveaway ends 02/18/2010 at 10 PM EST.

Disclosure:
M80 contacted me on behalf of Old Navy. I did not receive any monetary compensation or a product to host this giveaway. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the blog owner, Keonte' Smith (that's me).

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Bargain Shopping at Old Navy

Old Navy is one of my favorite stores. I shop there often. There is always something in the store that can suit the needs of at least one member in my family. The prices are affordable, the styles are versatile, and there are several locations I can choose from. What can I say? Old Navy just does it for me.

I'm sure you've heard about the OldNavyWeekly.com site. If you haven't, you've just been warned. Each week, this site is updated to include valuable coupons that are hidden in various places on the page. It is your job to uncover the savings. There are plenty of coupons to go around, you just have to visit early and often.

(For your chance to win one of these fabulous $50 off of $100 coupons, visit the Youthful Tips blog to enter the giveaway. Ends 2/15)

I am never lucky enough to snag one of the $50 off of $100 coupons. However, I found a few blogs that offered this wonderful coupon in a giveaway. I was fortunate to win one the other day. Here is what I purchased with my coupon:

The picture is not all that great. Here is what I purchased;

Lace-Trim V-Neck Camis in White, Brown, and Yellow

3 @ $2 a piece

Sweetheart Destructed Skinny Jeans in blue and black denim

1 @ $12.49, 1 @ $15.49

Boys Sports-Graphic Fleece Hoodie

@$6.99

Boys Pisque-Mesh Track Pants

$8.00


2-in-1 Pop-Culture Graphic Tees

2 @ $4.99

Women's Faux-Leather Boots in black

$34.50

Women's Ruched Leggings

2 @ $4.97 each

I spent a total of $56 after the coupon. I thought I did a great job finding bargains. I never miss when I go to Old Navy.

Tell me, do you find the best bargains when you go shopping? Do you use store coupons to save a lot of money?

All images from OldNavy.com

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Happy Birthday Keonte' Smith!

Today, I turn 29. I must say I feel great. Getting older seems to fit perfect like a pair of my favorite black leggings (I have way too many). There was once a time where I would hide from the process we call aging. However, I can no longer run. There are great opportunities that lie ahead of me. The only way I can discover them is by moving forward. And with this acceptance of progression, I am becoming more of a woman with each day that passes.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I am in no way indicating that I have lost all touch with my adolescent ways. In fact, I still shop at Forever 21, I know the lyrics to those ridiculous Disney songs, and I like to lick the spoon when I make cupcakes for my son's class.

Growing up means embracing who you are. It requires you to connect your past to the present in order to mold your future. I am working on this as we speak.

I only want to be me. The silly, overly-sensitive, frugal, caring, and insanely-funny me.

Even at the age of 17, as she was nearing her graduation from high school, my mom decided my worth was more than her freedom to be a young woman. She gave-up her life in order to give me love. And for this, I am thankful. I hope I have not let her down. By the amount of time we spend on the phone, and the self-less gestures she has made for me thus far, I am pretty certain I am a sparkle in her eyes. She always was so supportive of any decision I made. I owe part of who I am today to her.

As I celebrate my birthday (which will consist of a day spent with my son who is out of school due to the blizzard from the weekend), I reflect on all the people places, and things (a noun) who are responsible for my being.

Birthdays are not just about one person. They are about a combination of people.

I would like to thanks my family, friends, co-workers, online friends, strangers and those who I have not met for being an integral part of my life.

29 has never felt, nor looked, so good.

Happy Birthday Keonte' Smith! You're a big girl now.

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New from Sade ~ Soldier of Love CD (CLOSED)

She gave us the "Kiss of Life" and changed our souls forever. Sade is classic, and this is evident through her long and successful stint in the music game (twenty-five years to be exact). Now, she is back with her new album titled, Soldier of Love.

Before I discuss the brillance of this new album, let us acknowledge how beautiful Sade is. Take a look at two shots fromt he album artwork:

Did I mention she recently celebrated her 51st birthday?

I'll take some of what she's having!

It has been awhile since Sade released an album. In fact, the year 2000 was the last studio release with Lover Rock which sold millions of albums. Soldier of Love is sure to please with 10 new tracks. The title track, "Soldier of Love" is brilliant. It's as if you are marching to the beat of Sade's drum. Take a peak at the video:

While I love the catchy rhythm of the title track, I immediately took a liking another song called "Babyfather". I made several assumptions about where this song would take me, but I remembered the brillance behind the song. Sade always brings out the class in her songs. "Babyfather" is a well-written song whose lyrics explain the joys of parenthood. This is what Sade said this particular song is:

"about how great it is to be a parent, what a great honor and privilege that is, and what a terrible thing that is to waste. As long as you feel good about yourself, you can be a good parent, and then it becomes an endless fruitful cycle."

For more information on this cd, please visit the official Sade page.

This would make a great Valentine's gift for that special someone, or, a Sade fan.

3 lucky readers will win:

• A copy of Sade's new cd Soldier of Love (value $13.98)

• Leave a comment telling me who is the "special someone" in your life who would receive the cd to and why.

• Follow my blog (right sidebar)
• Tweet this: 3 winners. Enter to win a copy of Sade's new cd, Soldier of Love from @IamKeonte http://bit.ly/SadeCD Ends 2/22
• Follow @IamKeonte on Twitter
• Follow my blog through Networked Blogs
• Subscribe to my blog through an Email Subscription
• Complete any other entry...Digg, Stumble, Tweet, whatever you think of!

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry. Giveaway ends 02/22/2010 at 12 noon EST.


There was no monetary compensation for this review, but the item(s) for review was/were provided free-of-charge. All opinions are solely those of the blog author, Keonte'.

Please read all the details carefully. Please leave a comment for each entry you perform. Winner will be selected using Random.org, and contacted shortly afterward. Winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. Please leave an email address where you can be reached. Good Luck!

Big thanks to Big Honcho Media for the opportunity.

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