Ten on Tuesday

Happy Ten on Tuesday!  Today's topic is 10 Things I Did This Weekend... which is a good one for me, since I had one of the most fabulous weekends ever!  It all started with my birthday on Friday...

1. Was surprised by my office singing Happy Birthday... I'm not a big fan of being sung to, but it was a cute surprise!

2. Had the yummiest birthday brownies, made by a co-worker... note the perfect decorations.

3. Went out for my birthday dinner Friday night and had the best maple apple ribs...

4. Was totally surprised with being sung to at the restaurant.  All thanks to friends who just happened to be eating there a few booths over and saw us.  I hate being sung to at restaurants, but this was such a sweet gesture and it went well... unlike the last time I was sung to in a restaurant!

5. Spent Saturday afternoon/evening at Star Speedway where the Legends cars ran a non-points race.  We're hoping to have a few races at that track on our schedule for 2012.

6. Went to the Patriots vs Jets game on Sunday... had amazing seats, 13 rows off the field!

7. Surprised with an appearance by my beloved Boston Bruins and the Stanley Cup during the pre-game ceremonies.  My B's and Pats in the same place, at the same time... what more could a girl ask for?!?!

8. Surprised again when the B's removed their hockey jerseys to reveal Patriots jerseys underneath... too cool!

9. Went to the Bruins vs Avalanche game on Monday afternoon... got to see the Stanley Cup 2011 banner for the first time!

10. Had the most amazing long birthday weekend ever!!!!  (Thank you honey!)

***I've yet to download my photos from the weekend, so I've borrowed the Bruins shots at Gillette from their page.  The photo below is a priceless; the Stanley Cup along with three Vince Lombardi trophies!  Love That Dirty Water, awww... Boston you're my home!*** 

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Barksters Krisps

Thank you to everyone who entered to win two boxes of Barksters Krisps!  The winner has been selected by random number generator... 

Congratulations to Sue and her loveable pack!  The Lapdogs know that everyone is going to go tail wagging crazy for Barksters!

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways coming soon... and don't miss our current giveaways of The Peaceful Housewife Natural Household Cleaner ebook and The Knitter's Life List!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Knitter's Life List

The Knitter's Life List
by Gwen W. Steege
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (October 21, 2011)

"Now we have a book that proves something I often say: the horizons

of knitting are astonishingly infinite." - Cat Bordhi

Attention knitters... that book that will top all of our holiday wish lists is here and it's appropriately titled, The Knitter's Life List.  Whether you leave this beautifully illustrated book out on the coffee table to flip through while you sip your tea or toss it in your knitting bag to peruse on the go, this is one of those books that will get your creative juices flowing and your needles clicking.

The Knitter's Life List is an "everything" book for fiber enthusiasts: To Do - To Know - To Explore - To Make.  Truly a road map to all things fiber, the book comprises 1001 inspirations, 122 techniques & tips, 69 styles & traditions, 64 personalities and 33 yarn fibers.  Novice knitters and masters alike will enjoy it, and everyone will find something new to check off their own list. 

The chapter paint a clear picture of the fibery-good journey The Knitter's Life List will take you on:

• The Yarn Life List
• The Know-How Life List
• The Sweaters Life List
• The Socks Life List
• The Scarves & Shawls Life List
• The Hats Life List
• The Gloves & Mittens Life List
• The Bags Life List
• The Kids-Knit Life List
• The Home Dec Life List
• The Fiber Lover's Life List

Each chapter begins with an introduction, followed by a well organized check list to guide you on your journey.  With a quick glimpse, you will see who you will meet, what you will discover, what to do/try, what you will learn, where to go and what to experience in each chapter.  Bonus - there's even extra credit sections!

As the introduction states, The Knitter's Life List is "An Invitation to the Knitting Trip of a Lifetime."  Start your journey now by picking up a copy of The Knitter's Life List (or entering to win a copy below), then take a chance at winning a dream knitting prize package in the Knitter's Life List Sweepstakes!  Storey Publishing is giving away a Grand Prize worth over $4,000 - including a trip to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, a $200 yarn shopping spree, an exclusive knitting retreat weekend and more!  For details and to enter, click here!

About the Author: Gwen W. Steege has been a fiber fanatic for nearly 50 years, and she hasn't tired of spending late nights with her knitting needles and a good ball of yarn, sometimes spun from the fleece of her own sheep.  By day, she is an editor who has worked on dozens of books about knitting and other fiber crafts.  She is also the author of "101 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies." Gwen lives in Western Massachusetts.

GIVEAWAY! Christmas wishes will come early for one lucky reader this year!  Win a copy of The Knitter's Life List! To enter:

1) Follow Lapdog Creations publicly (see "Followers" on the right hand side bar).
2) Leave a comment here telling me what animal / fiber you are most interested in learning more about.

You must complete both steps to enter and you must be a US resident to win.
You can get extra entries by sending your friends here to enter (be sure to have them mention your name).... blog, Tweet, Facebook and text away!
Winner will be selected by random number generator.
Deadline for entries is Saturday, October 15th at midnight.

Who's Birfday Is It Anyway?

Howdeeez to all da peepz out der in blog land!  Our Mama iz a lil bit bizzeee so we iz popin' by ta say heyz to ya'll on Thorsday! We gotz our par-T hatz on becuz tomorrow iz Mama's birfdayz!!! Yay... we mightz even share our favorite nom-noms with her!

Life is For the Birds

Happy Wordless Wednesday... "sometimes life is just for the birds..."

 

*** photos taken at Franklin Park Zoo, September 2010 ***

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Peaceful Housewife Natural Household Cleaner Recipes

The Peaceful Housewife Natural Household Cleaner Recipes
Where to Find: The Peaceful Housewife

Everyone is looking for new ways to go green these days, often with cleaning products.   However, most of us quickly realize that it's more difficult to separate the truly green products from those that are just riding the false claim bandwagon.  With The Peaceful Housewife's Natural Household Cleaner Recipes you can make your own products and truly know exactly what is in them.

The Peaceful Housewife's Natural Household Cleaner Recipes is a collection of gentle, environmentally friendly household cleaners that you can create in the comfort of your own home.  The e-book includes recipes for everything you could possibly need for a clean, green home...

• Get the clothes clean with laundry detergent, fabric softener and not one, but two types of stain treatments 
• Do the dishes with foaming dish soap and dishwasher detergent
• Make the floors sparkle with wet mop refills and carpet cleaner 
• See clearly with glass cleaner and multipurpose spray cleaner 
• Germs will be a thing of the past with hand soap, disinfecting wipe solution, scouring powder and liquid scrubbing cleaner
• New baby will appreciate the diaper pail freshener
• There's no need to make a pledge when you've got a green furniture polish
• Keep your tools pretty with makeup brush cleaner
• Bugs be gone with pest spray
• Keep the cleaning momentum going with granite cleaner, oven cleaner and brass cleaner

The recipes consist of just a few basic ingredients and they're easy to follow... even for a novice like myself.  If you really want to know what's in your cleaning products, go green with The Peaceful Housewife!

GIVEAWAY! Thanks The Peaceful Housewife herself, Jenny Deramo, we have two copies of The Peaceful Housewife Natural Household Cleaner Recipes e-book to giveaway! To enter:

1) Follow Lapdog Creations publicly (see "Followers" on the right hand side bar)
2) Visit the The Peaceful Housewife website and leave a comment here telling us which product sounds most appealing to you
3) For a bonus entry, Like The Peaceful Housewife page on Facebook (and leave a separate comment here saying you did so)

You must complete steps 1 & 2 above to enter. You can get extra entries by completing step 3 and/or sending your friends here to enter (be sure to have them mention your name).... blog, Tweet, Facebook and text away!
Winner will be selected by random number generator.
Deadline for entries is Wednesday, October 12th at midnight.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

GIVEAWAY: CoatPlus

CoatPlus
Where to Find: Arenus

Win CoatPlus from Arenus, and Give Your Dog a Healthy

Skin & a Shiny Coat this Winter!

"As fall arrives and the weather cools, your dog’s skin gets drier, just like yours. You may notice your dog itching and scratching more. Omega-3 fatty acids can help support your dog’s skin and coat. Research has shown that dogs fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids had a shinier and softer coat than those fed a more basic diet. More importantly, feeding the diet that included the omega-3 fatty acids resulted in less shedding and less dander produced. Scientists have concluded that fish oil and its fatty acid components have many benefits and support healthy skin and coats in dogs."

"While most dog foods contain fat, they may not have enough Omega-3 fatty acids. Many pet parents choose to add fish oil to their dog’s diet. CoatPlus by Arenus is a nutritional supplement that will supply your dog with the daily recommended allowance of Omega-3 fatty acids in a convenient, soft-gel capsule. This high-quality, concentrated fish oil is an excellent source of EPA and DHA. CoatPlus also provides the additional vitamin E that is nutritionists generally recommend when consuming fatty acids."

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to not only host a giveaway of CoatPlus, but to also review it in the Lapdog household.  Teutul is the skin issue dog in our pack, often breaking out due to allergies, dry skin, etc.  We have begun adding CoatPlus to his diet and will be posting our review in the coming weeks.  However, you don't have to wait!  Arenus is allowing us to give you to opportunity to win a bottle now, just in time for the coming dry winter air!  CoatPlus is available in 2 formulas, Small Breed and Large Breed.  Whether your dog is prone to skin issues or not, this is an excellent supplement to add to their diet.  After all, a healthy coat means a more beautiful dog and healthy skin means a more comfortable dog!

To enter this giveaway:

1) Visit Arenus.com and select which of the two different formulas of CoatPlus you’d like to win.

2) Leave a comment below indicating the formula of your choice.

3) For an extra chance to win, follow the @ArenusPet Twitter account, and let us know you’re following in a separate comment.

4) For an additional extra chance to win, follow LapdogCreations publicly (see "Followers" on the right hand side bar) and leave a separate comment saying that you do. If you are already a follower, just leave a comment stating so.

Deadline: This giveaway closes October 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be announced here on this blog.

Restrictions: One winner will be selected at random among all entries using random.org. This giveaway is open to readers in the US only. Winner will be notified via email that they have won and will be asked to provide an address to where they would like their prize sent. Winner will have 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Thank you to Arenus for providing Lapdog Creations

with this fabulous giveaway offer for our readers!