Below is a sampling of the cards available this year.  There are a total of 8 sets in the collection…I  might just need all 8!  Jamie is giving away one set of Holiday Cards (your choice) to one lucky reader!  Simply update your status on FB or Twitter to the following:  ”I hope I win the Jamie Schultz Designs Holiday Card giveaway on Ashley McNamara’s blog!” and then leave a comment in the comment box.

A winner will be chosen at random on July 18th @ 3pm!

Follow Jamie on facebook to keep up with all of her newest designs!

WINNER! Sandy! Congratulations, Sandy. I will forward your information to Jamie and she will send you your prize!

I was contacted by the founder of Yubo lunchboxes asking if I would be interested in adding these to my product line and I loved her  so much that I invited her to coffee to talk more.

At coffee we talked about how this whole luchbox idea came about.  We all go through it, our kids get their lunchboxes mixed up with friends or they leave it in their backpack and on monday it smells like rotting food… good luck getting that stink out! Not to mention plastic bag after plastic bag… sounding like an infomercial so I’ll get to the point.

All I have to say is that if you have an idea run with it. I love talking to moms in business because I am a mom in business myself. Cyndi had enough of the lunchbox drama and created the most awesome lunchbox ever.. No, I am serious, it’s the most awesome lunch box ever!

Before I came on my blog and bragged about this giveaway I wanted to make sure it was as awesome as I say it is so we have been using it religiously for about two weeks. It comes completely apart so you can pop it in the dishwasher, it has little containers inside so I can give Topher applesauce out of the jar instead of the plastic on the go packs (keeping to my green lifestyle) and there is an icepack at the bottom so it keeps everything cold. We ended up getting a robot lunchbox because that’s his thing now but when he is into dinosaurs again I can go order a dinosaur front instead of buying a whole new box. Pretty awesome stuff, folks.

Lets get to the goods, we’re giving away one Yubo lunchbox system which includes one cover of your choice. All you have to do it leave a comment in the comment box. Easy peasy!

as a bonus to the winner if you leave a comment and fan the Yubo Lunchbox fanpage on facebook you will get a drink holder along with the lunchbox!!

Contest ends Wednesday, March, 17th @ 4pm

the winner is — #17 Suzy – “These are fabulous!! My son is all about dinosaurs right now.”

Tamara is a brilliant jewelry designer located in Hudson, WI,  her pieces remind me of Anthropologie jewelry but way better quality. In her own words, Tamara’s “style in jewelry design consists of combining unique elements such as; pieces from old doors and mirrors for their ornate detail, original stamped molds from Paris for their depth and richness, and vintage crystals and ribbons to soften the bold design.”

I personally own two pieces of Sheer Addiction jewelry (you can see my latest goodie pictured below). What I love about her pieces is that they are not mass produced. You will not see someone in the mall with the same necklace.. it’s unique and personal. Tamara has been generous enough let me give away one of her new pieces!  I am soooo excited to share it.

Here’s how to win:

Follow @sheeraddiction on twitter and post

@ashleymcnamara is giving away a @sheeraddiction necklace! Go to http://www.ashleymcnamara.com/articles to win!

once you post leave a comment in the comment box below and we will pick a random winner . You must follow @sheeraddiction + leave a comment in the comment box to win. You may enter as many times as you would like but you must tweet every time you enter.

One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, Feb, 18th @3pm

The Prize..

AND…. THE WINNER IS?? Comment #3! Congrats!

Thank you to all who participated. I can’t tell you enough how awesome Tamara’s jewelry is I have bought two pieces of my own and will buy many more in the future. Tamara is giving everyone a $20 discount! So everyone goes away with something.

type in coupon code sheeraddiction20 for your discount!

If you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There will be many more giveaways next up is a giveaway from yubo lunchboxes and then Jamie Schultz Designs!

My latest pretty.

Stay tuned this month for some more awesome Giveaways.

Yubo Lunch boxes and Jamie Schultz designs!

Anyways, my resolutions this year were to lose weight, blog more, and be greener. I am down 11lbs, I am blogging more, and…. Confession time–  we just started recycling this year. I feel so ashamed typing that, with all the “go green” in the media and even in technology — go apple! I just cannot believe it took me so long to get on board.

Living a greener lifestyle isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.. it might even be more stylish.

Last week my husband came home from work with two of the cutest reusable bags by a company called Mika&bu.  The thing that I love about these bags are that they are 1. cute 2. super durable and 3. they have a cute little pocket on the inside where you can put cards, coupons, or snotty tissues.. whatever you want… I just thought it was so clever.

Today my be green giveaway is a mika&bu bag! To enter just leave a comment in in the comment box and I will use a random number generator to select a winner tomorrow at 3pm. (I am stuffing a little something extra in the cute little pocket)

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED! This will not be the last giveaway. I am already planning a little something for next month.

TODAY’S WINNER IS SARAH LANE!

10 ways to live greener

1. DITCH GROCERY STORE BAGS!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. Of those, approximately 100 billion are plastic shopping bags, which cost retailers about $4 billion annually.

Good for you: reusable is cool and now stylish.

2. Change a Light Bulb

Installing a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) is the quickest, easiest way to save energy — and money.

3. Unplug Things That Glow

Anything that has an LED (light emitting diode) that glows even after you turn it off continues to draw power (that you pay for).

Good for You: Unplug appliances and electronics that glow and you could save $200 a year.

4. Support Local Farmers

Typical grocery store produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate. All this traveling burns fossil fuels and results in carbon emissions — a fancy term for pollution. Buying from local farmers means you’re not only getting the freshest food possible, you’re saving energy.

5.  Fix That Drip

When you next fill your water glass, think about this: We each use about 100 gallons a day, enough to fill 1,600 glasses. Household water consumption has increased by 200 percent since 1950.

6. Let Your Grass Grow

Spending less time tending to your lawn actually makes it greener — in every sense of the word. Most grass species fare best when they’re kept at least 2 1/2 inches tall. The length creates more surface area to absorb sunlight, which creates thicker turf and deeper roots, which means you won’t need to water as often.

7. Look for the Label

A household with Energy Star products uses about 30 percent less energy than the average household — an annual savings of about $570.

8. Do Full Loads

Whenever you wash just a few clothes or dishes at a time rather than waiting for a full load to accumulate, you’re wasting water, power, and money. The average American family of four washes about 540 loads of laundry a year, which consumes up to 21,000 gallons of water, and more than 150 loads of dishes, which uses about 1,500 gallons. Let’s face it.. who likes laundry anyway?

9. Audit Your Energy

It’s easier to save energy when you know exactly how much and where you’re using it.

Good for you: On average, an energy audit shows how to save up to 30 percent on utility bills.

10. Recycle Your Electronics

Americans tossed out a whopping 5.5 billion pounds of  electronics — TVs, stereos, cell phones, and computers.

Good for You: Sell unused cell phones to greenphone.com. You’ll receive about $35, and the phones will be refurbished and resold. If 1 million people recycled one cathode-ray tube TV this year, we’d keep 4 million pounds of lead out of the ground.

Give someone something special…My friends over at Essential Imagery have set up this fan-freaking-tastic site Giving is Awesome and I wanted to share the love too. 

You know someone. You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – $1000 worth, to be exact. It’s in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a FREE session worth $250.00. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in San Diego California. Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : ashley@ashleymcnamara.com

The winner will be announced on New Years Eve — get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Ashley McNamara 

The winner will receive a free mounted 11×14 print of their winning photo! Contest ends 01.19.2008 at 12:00pm

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