Giveaway: HP Pavillion dm3 laptop Winner

Thank you, so so much to everyone that entered my HP dm3 laptop giveaway. I'm pretty sure that's the most comments I've ever gotten on anything, so thank you.

And really, I LOVED all of your answers. Everyone was so thoughtful and kind and all had great reasons for wanting this computer it made my heart happy.

But alas there can only be one winner and by using random.org I have picked that winner....

So Congratulations....Jay Ferris, who said:

Congrats Jay and thank you to everyone that entered!



Happy Holidays!

Giveaway: HP Pavilion dm3 Laptop

I can't believe I haven't written a review or anything on here since last month and to think December and heck the year is almost over! But do not fret, I come to you today not with a review but with a sweet sweet giveaway!

Thanks to Alexa, earlier today I was offered to give away a brand new HP Pavilion dm3 laptop. Oh yes, give away as in for free as in YOU could win it!! So if you didn't win big on Alexa or Jenn's giveaways, here's another chance for you!

Don't know what the HP Pavilion dm3 laptop is? Well here are some fun facts:

• HP Pavilion dm3 offers an ideal balance of performance, mobility and affordability in a 1", thin, sleek, design that features a meticulously clean design and iconic keyboard enhanced by a brushed aluminum-magnesium case.
  
  
• Features like snap, pin, shake and peak in Windows 7 makes day-to-day tasks a breeze on dm3.
  
  
• Also, great features like HomeGroup makes sharing music, pictures, videos and documents on home networks easy.
  
  
• Ultra-low voltage processors and other features give the dm3 10 hours of battery life, letting users go where they need to without having to find a plug.
  
  
• Windows 7 also has Play To which allows users to play media through a home video/audio system and Windows Media Center that enables users to watch Internet TV and record TV for playback.

Also, you can follow HP on twitter: @hp_pc

Sounds awesome right? Yeah I think I would like to own one as well and enjoy it's pretty sleekness.


So how do you win this fine laptop? Simply leave me a comment telling me how this computer would make your holiday season better.

For extra entries tweet or blog (or do both) about the contest and leave it as a separate comment.


The giveaway ends next Wednesday, December 23rd, 3pm PST I'll be picking a winner at random who will be notified via email, so leave me a VALID EMAIL address please :)





Good luck!



I was contacted by an HP representative and the computer was offered to my readers, I was in no other way compensated for this post.

Game Review: Style Savvy

A couple weeks ago I came home and to my surprise there was a box waiting for me. So of course I dropped everything and sat down to rip it open and see what was inside...

Only a fabulous box of fashionista goodies from Brand About Town (have I told you how much I love them?) on behalf of Nintendo (seriously, amazing people). No really, to promote the new DS game Style Savvy they not only sent me the game but a make up bag full of some some Lorac makeup and a mini compact. Umm amazing right?

I was quite in love with it right away but didn't have time to play. Until this past Thursday when I found myself four hours later still playing. This game is so fun! Similar to Julie I've already won contests, been featured in magazines, sold tons of clothes, opened my own boutique, visited the buyer's center a bagillion times, got my hair did and so much more. I love that this game runs in real time so right now people are shopping for Fall clothing and on Sundays you can't get clothes delivered, it's amazing.

Pretty much you just have to start playing this game to really get into it and see everything you can do. I haven't even unlocked everything but I know there will be plenty more hours of game playing in my future despite my fiance making fun of me.

So what are you waiting for? Unlock your inner fashionista and go get this game!



I was given this game free-of-charge. The opinions are mine and were not influenced by any source. I was not compensated monetarily to advertise this game.

Book Review: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Seriously I have been so behind on reviews and everything, oh the crazy life I lead.

Anyways, a while back I was contacted by someone at Harper Collins asking if I'd be interested in receiving this book and who am I to turn down a free book so of course I said yes. And I'm so glad I did because this book is amazing. I found myself wanting to know more and looking up William's story and interviews online because it was just that fascinating.

In a nutshell the synopsis of the book is something like this: William, a young boy in Malawi, is forced to leave school due to the fact that his family has become poverty stricken in a country where everyone is suffering. However William doesn't stop learning, he continues to use the resources around him and ultimately teaches himself everything he needs to know to construct a windmill to provide his family with electricity for the first time ever.

Amazing right?

Overall I loved the way William was able to tell his story. There were pictures to outline some of the physics that not everyone (me especially, I was horrible at Physics) would understand, there were snippets into his childhood, there were pictures of his family and friends, there was an overall sense of sincerity that made me just like William even more.

So if you want an uplifting story of perseverance this is definitely one to check out and add to your reading lists.


Check out William's blog here for more information about his amazing story as he continues to help others and further his education.

I was given this book free-of-charge to provide an honest review. The opinions are mine and were not influenced by any source. I was not compensated monetarily to advertise this book.

Brand Review: Wii Fit Plus Party

Last week I had the lovely fortune of attending a Wii Fit Plus party hosted by Ev'Yan and Brand About Town. Now I already own the Wii Fit and was pretty familiar with a lot of the basic activities it came with, but the Wii Fit Plus...oh it is magical. It has so many new features and a couple news games, it's basically heavenly and pretty much is going to help get my butt back in shape.

It was so fun to just hang out and mingle at first with some of my favorite bloggers and my sister came as well, and we enjoyed lovely smoothies before we got our Wii Fit Plus lesson. Once we had our lessons we were split into groups of two and got to try out some yoga techniques. I was pretty horrible (it had been a while since I used my Wii Fit) but it was still fun watching everyone trying.

it was in the same place as my DS party but
man did it look different but just as awesome.

After our yoga exercises we had a delicious dinner with lots of fun snacks (mmmmcheese) and wine (yeah I know right? Wine and working out? Works for me!) and awesomeness. And then we were free to try out any of the new games that we wanted and just have fun, which of course we all did.

Andrea and her friend practicing
their skateboarding moves.

Kerri trying out one of the games
while Amanda enjoys some wine, loverly.


I decided to get in on the action too.

Eventually the night came to an end and none of us left empty handed, we all got a new Wii Fit Plus and a schnazzy Nintendo jacket! Seriously it was such a great night with great friends and a great game.

all the fabulous bloggers with our new
Wii Fit Plus boards, woo!

and a big group shot.

Thanks Ev'Yan and Brand About Town!

Game Review: Personal Trainer: Walking

Oh yes I know it's been a while since I've reviewed anything but man I've been busy!!

Anyhoo moving on.

A couple weeks ago I received a new game for my Nintendo DS from Brand About Town, Personal Trainer: Walking. And it's pretty cool I must say.

Basically I carry around a digital pedometer with me all the time (well most of the time, I've been slacking a bit lately and not wearing stuff with pockets, but that's besides the point) and then I connect it to my DS and it uploads all my walking stats for the day.

So far I only hit my walking goals when I go walking with my mom at the Rose Bowl, otherwise I'm not doing a whole lot of walking in my every day at work (which I could have pointed out without the game, haha). However it does break it down to how many steps I'm taking, when I'm most active, when I'm inactive the longest and other fun stats. Clearly it's hard to be active when you're at a desk all day but this game is sort of helping to motivate me to walk around the office or down the block just a bit more frequently.

So if you want a fun way to monitor your walking habits I highly recommend checking this game out!

Book Review: The Help

Before I started reading The Help, I knew nothing about it. And that's sort of how I like going into books, without any back story, no ideas of characters, time frame or anything. My aunt lent me the book saying "It's so good, you need to read it" and I'm quite glad I did. It was definitely a book that kept my interest and definitely opened my eyes to a time when I wasn't even born.

The Help follows the story of three women with three very different lives from Mississippi in the 60s. Ms. Skeeter is a young white woman who has always grown up with everything and been oblivious to the life around. However after returning home from college and really opening her eyes she begins to notice the very real effects of "separate but equal." Aibileen is a black woman working as a nanny/maid in the house of one of Skeeter's friends. She's been around long enough to raise many white children and acknowledges her standing in society. Minny, on the other hand, is Aibileen's best friend yet is nothing like her. She is younger, louder and all around sassier than any other woman in Mississippi. Although from very different worlds, all three womens' lives intersect as they embark on a journey to share their stories with everyone. (For a more detailed synopsis go here).

Basically I loved this book. I loved how each woman got to narrate different chapters and how seamlessly it transitioned from one to the other without confusing the reader. I also loved the story overall. One white woman, in the midst of segregation, standing out and risking everything in a society that shunned her to expose the truth is amazing. And Minny and Aibileen? They are such amazingly strong depictions of black women in the South and I loved it. Although they knew what they were risking and what could happen to them, they continued on with the book anyways because they knew it needed to be out there, needed to be exposed.

I also loved the ending. At first I was a bit torn about it because I wanted everything to be resolved. But then I realized it was better not wrapping everything up. It left me wondering, questioning, anticipating another book to continue where this one left off. So all in all, a very fitting ending for such a emotionally gripping book.

So do I think you should run to your library or bookstore and pick up this book? YES! Go get it, enjoy it and then come tell me about it.

Brand Review: GAP Born to Fit Party

So remember how I went to Tara's GAP Born to Fit party a while ago? Yeah well I was fortunate enough to get invited back, this time hosted by the fabulous Kerri and Nicole! I sort of love jeans (especially when they're free, haha) but I love hanging out with the LA blogger ladies just a wee bit more. So this time I ended up not getting any jeans for myself but being a fabulous fiance and getting Matt and brand spanking new pair. Basically it was quite fun to have some snacks, hang with the ladies, introduce my sister to the blogging world and meet some new people. Gotta say these GAP parties are great and there should probably be one every weekend.

umm LOVE this girl.


Yeah she's fabulous.


Love Kerri too, and her schnazzy new jeans.


Nicole and Andrea showing off their new jeans.


All the bloggers, woo!
Andrea, Amanda, Nicole, Ev'Yan, Kerri, me
and Michelle.


My sister helping me find some jeans
for Matt, haha.

All in all it was a great time and a fun change up for the regular Sunday night activities. Thanks again Kerri, Nicole and Brand About Town, twas loverly.

Oh so what jeans did I get Matt? I ended up getting him the Standard jeans, I thought they were a pretty good fit for him, not too straight legged and not too too baggy or anything. And I must say, he looks quite dashing in them :)

Oh I am a fan.


Clearly Matt is too.

Food Review: Ben and Jerry's Flipped Out

So remember when 20 Something Bloggers teamed up with Ben and Jerry's for some flipped out Carnival action? Well anyone that submitted to the carnival was eligible to get a free sample of the Ben and Jerry's newest creation, Flipped Out, and I was just lucky enough to get one!

So last night I finally decided to try the delectable creation. (diet, what diet? bridesmaid dress, what bridesmaid dress?). And man was it delicious. Matt and I got the cookies and cream flipped out and it was so tasty. A little weird at first with the actually flipping process, but pretty entertaining. And man was it chocolatey. Seriously, if you don't like chocolate you may not be a fan because it was a bit overwhelming (not that I'd complain, I freaking love chocolate).

But all in all it was definitely delicious and the perfect size for dessert. I think next time I'll try the vanilla fudge brownie, it just sounds divine.

Brand review: GAP Born to Fit Party

On Friday I had the pleasure of attending Tara's GAP Born to Fit party and man was it a party. It was so fun to meet some of Tara's friends, try on tons of jeans, eat some tasty snacks, some delicious sangria and have an all around grand time thanks to Brand About Town.

Tara was quite the hostess and you must check out her post/video of the night, it's amazing. She always cracks me up and she was loving her new jeans. I on the other hand tried on about ten different pairs of jeans before picking out some to own, the Real Straight jeans. The Always Skinny were a little too skinny for me and the Boot Cut was a little too flared, so the Real Straight was definitely a winner and definitely long enough which is good since I'm so dang tall (5'9").

it was quite the jeans display, like wo


the GAP party girls with our new jeans, woo

Basically there were tons of options and it was lots of fun. I love my new jeans and can't wait to rock them soon. Thank you GAP and thank you Tara for a fabulous time :)

loving them.

Movie Review: Fast and Furious

Last night Matt and I watched Fast and Furious.

I can't really give a review about it because I was so lost and asking questions the whole time about what was going on, haha. Seriously I only half know what the plot was and that's even a stretch. I do know that the driving stunts were still pretty awesome, the acting was pretty horrible and Paul Walker still looks mighty fine...

And that's all that really matters right? :)

Book Review: The Pact

Jodi oh Jodi. You've given me another amazing book. I don't remember who recommended The Pact to me but I am so glad they did. I read it all on my flights to and from Chicago and I could barely put it down. As usual it covered another difficult subject, suicide, and had me feeling sorry and wanting to hug each and every character at least once. Needless to say Jodi Picoult knows her stuff.

The Pact begins with the Hartes and the Golds, two families who have been best friends for eighteen years and their kids are almost sibling like yet they are dating. However the happy-go-lucky feel of the families is quickly shattered when both families receive a late night phone call that no parent ever wants to hear. From there, no one's lives are the same and both families are left with some many unanswered questions that slowly get answered as the story progresses. (more detailed synopsis can be found here)

I know this is a vague synopsis and review, but it's hard to talk about the story without giving much away. I had no idea what the story was about before I started and sometimes I think that's the best way to go into it. But then again I will say that if the idea of suicide touches close to home or isn't something you think you can handle, then I'd say step away from this book. I admit some of the conversations that came up really got to me and ugh, so sad and so deep and so Jodi.

So what did I think of it? I really liked it (definitely better than Handle With Care although it did have a similar theme of two close families being torn apart). Jodi seriously knows how to tear at someones heart strings and make you want to reach out to everyone you know and make sure they're okay. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Chris for wanting to help and not knowing what to do. And at the same time I wanted to hug Emily and tell her it would all be okay. All in all this book was incredibly emotional and I'm glad I read it and I know I'll probably read more books by Jodi in the future but I think for now my emotions need a break.

Food Review: Green Street Tavern

On Monday my mom called me up and asked if Matt and I wanted to join her, her best friend Debbie, and my dad for drinks and dessert's at their neighbor's restaurant and of course I said yes (as soon as she said the tab would be on them, haha).

Turns out their neighbor owns a sweet little place right in the midst of Old Town Pasadena on Green Street, so aptly called Green Street Tavern. And it was so cute! Okay maybe cute isn't the right word, chic? Styling? Cozy? Well I loved it. I'd never been there before, my parents had and loved the food there so of course our dessert was going to be amazing. And apparently the desserts were all fairly new to the menu and all were delicious.

Matt and I ordered the fried cookie dough which was by far my favorite dish of them all. It totally reminded me of funnel cake and man it was so crispy on the outside and chewy and divine on the inside. On top of that each cookie was different, one was chocolate chip, another was white chocolate chip and the third one was cranberry and pecan. It also helped that they were served on top of ice cream, yeah I may have been in heaven.

My parents ordered the Georgia peach dish that was basically a peach cobbler with cinnamon ice cream on top. I had a small bite and it was so good. And I think my parents can both attest to it's deliciousness too, definitely a hit with the table.

My mom's friend ordered the creme brule which was also quite tasty. I'm not usually a fan of creme brule but this one was just sweet enough and not too overly mushy that I really enjoyed it after all.

And lastly the table was treated to a special dish that is apparently a customer favorite (and was definitely loved at our table too). It was three puff cakes with chocolate on top, bananas at the bottom and cinnamon ice cream in between. In a word: Heavenly. I don't even love all that stuff together usually and it was just so delicious.

All in all it was a great night of desserts and wine and we all left completely stuffed because I don't think we left a plate uncleared. And that's how it's supposed to be anyways right?

Book Review: Bright Shiny Morning

I had already read A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard so I sort of had an idea of what James Frey's writing was like and what I could expect before I picked up Bright Shiny Morning. However, this story moved me in ways unlike his other two. Although clearly deemed fiction, so much of Bright Shiny Morning seemed so real and it was incredibly hard for me to even put it down.

So hard to put down in fact that I found myself reading it whenever I could (even during some downtime of the weekend) and I finished the 500 page book in four days. I almost don't even know where to start with this book besides how much I loved it and I'm glad I read it.

Bright Shiny Morning follows the lives of various characters with extremely different backgrounds with the one connection that they all live in Los Angeles county. However, the story not only follows a select few characters throughout the book but various characters appear and dissapear as quickly as they were written. Along with that the book is layered with an assortment of Los Angeles facts, statistics, historical trademarks and anything else Frey deems appropiate and necessary to share.

Like I said, I loved this book. By the end of it, I wanted more! I didn't want the stories to end, I wanted to know what happened to each and every character (specifically the young couple Maddie and Dylan) once I was at the last page. I feel like James Frey should write a follow up book just so we know exactly what happens, but I guess that was also the point, the keep us guessing, let us decide. And I sort of loved it.

I also loved all of the Los Angeles fun facts. True or not it was definitely entertaining to learn something new about my city. Actually I learned a lot about my city. I learned about laws from the past, natural disasters that had occurred, the number of museums in the city, how certain places came to be, and so much more. And it was all so interesting.

Needless to say, if you've read James Frey's other books and like his writing style you will definitely like this book. The stories are touching, the characters are almost real and everything about this book made me love it. Hopefully you will too.

Book Review: Chocolat

Before I give my review I have to admit that Chocolat is one of my favorite movies, it's right up there with The Notebook and Practical Magic in terms of girliness and cuteness and awesomeness. Needless to say I definitely had some expectations about the book before I even started. I wasn't even sure I wanted to read it at first, but it was on my book shelf so I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did.

In case you haven't read the book or seen the movie, Chocolat begins with Vianne Rocher, a single mother, and her daughter Anouk after they arrive in a small village the day before Lent begins. As soon as they arrive the villagers, especially the priest Reynaud, are both suspicious and curious about them. Despite a wary welcome Vianne proceeds to open up her own chocolate shop, La Celeste Praline, which just happens to be across the street from the church. The rest of the story continues throughout Lent and the struggles between Reynaud (and other church goers) religious assertions and Vianne (as well as other new friends) care free attitude.

One of the main things I loved about this book was the descriptions. Joanne Harris seriously made me drool when talking about all the kinds of chocolate Vianne was creating, it was almost like I was watching the movie all over again. So yes, note to readers, don't read this book while you're hungry it'll make you crave chocolate like no other, haha.

There were several things that were a bit different from the movie (of course, no book and movie are ever exactly the same) some of which I liked, others I thought were a little off. For one, I really liked the fact that Reynaud got to narrate some chapters and I got a more in depth look to his struggles and some of the reasoning behind his rash behavior. It also made Reynaud seem more human that he was visiting a fellow priest and telling him about everything that was going on in the village. I also enjoyed the fact that Armande's character was just as tough and hilarious as Judi Dench portrayed her in the movie version. I think she was the most accurate book to screen character from the story overall.

*spoiler* The main difference between the book and the movie that I did not like was how Vianne and Roux's relationship played out. In the movie it's more mysterious and flirtatious between them and yet nothing definite happens although he does appear at the end. However in the book the fact that they actually have sex (she gets pregnant! um say what?) seemed a little too much for the story. And then the fact that Roux and Josephine ended up together after all of that? Yeah I just didn't like that soap opera type ending with those relationships.

All in all I definitely enjoyed reading Chocolat and seeing where one of my favorite movies got it's start. However I didn't love it, but I definitely didn't hate it either, so it's right up there in the 'like' section. Feel free to check it out (or just watch the movie).

Movie Review: The Proposal

As I mentioned on Friday I'm a big Sandra Bullock fan and I couldn't wait to see this movie. And I was in no way disappointed, it was hilarious and oh so cute.

The movie basically revolves around Sandra Bullock's character, Margaret, who is a head editor at a publishing firm and the fact that she is threatened with deportation back to Canada due to a declined Visa. With that, she black mails her assistant, Ryan Reynold's character Andrew, into marrying her so she can stay in the country. From there they go to meet Andrew's family in Alaska and pretty much the rest of the movie takes place there and follows their crazy weekend.

Seriously, there are so many great things I can say about this movie I almost don't even know where to start. First of all, I loved Sandra and Ryan's chemistry, it was perfect. I wasn't a hundred percent sure about it at first but after watching them on screen I was sold. Their banter had me cracking up the whole movie and even their "oh we sort of really do like each other"ness was just as cute and funny.

Not only were Sandra and Ryan great, but Betty White was amazing. Seriously she had some of the best lines in the movie. And her forest chant scene, absolutely priceless. If you see the movie you'll know what I'm talking about and man it's amazing.

All in all I thought the movie (although a bit predictable at times, but really what movie isn't?) was so funny. Between the infamous nude scene (hello Ryan Reynolds!!), the every man Ramon, and Sandra's city girl character it was a great comedy. So guy or girl (yes really, guys will even laugh, I heard plenty in the theater) I say you see this movie and have a grand ole time. Enjoy!

Book Review: Bitter is the New Black

I requested this book a while ago from my library and was more than excited when it finally arrived. I had only heard great things about the famous blogger Jen Lancaster and her hilarious books so I was more than intrigued to read Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered, Smartass, or why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office.

The story chronicles Jen, a haughty former sorority girl (as she mentions multiple times), as she goes from earning half a million dollars a year and living in designer heaven to almost being evicted from an apartment in the ghetto.

I think reading Jen's story now is even more amazing as so many people are experiencing similar occurrences in light of this awful economy. Jen was laid off right after 9/11 when so many companies were freaking out so to read her memoir was almost like reading it as if it was happening to her now. And as much as I am not a designer girl I still felt bad for. Yeah I laughed my ass off, but part of me thought "what would happen to me if I got laid off?" and it wasn't pretty.

However, Jen's story doesn't solely focus on her losing and trying to find a job it also focuses on her every day life with her boyfriend turned husband Fletch and her blog (well her first blog and then jennsylvania came next) and how it developed and helped lead to her writing career. I love Fletch. Seriously by the way she describes him, Fletch is perfect for Jen and she is perfect for him. For some of the stuff they go through together it's no wonder they're together. I especially loved his proposal to her, one of the funniest parts in the book I thought, so cute and too funny. Aside from Fletch, of course I loved the blog entries and emails Jen received, I'm a blogger how could I not? Seriously her responses were so witty and hilarious, I really wish I could even begin to be that funny sometimes.

Not only was the story itself hilarious, but the footnotes oh the footnotes. Every other page had at least one if not more footnotes that had me laughing out loud (or chuckling to myself, whatever). Jen can you write my next paper? Wait I don't write papers anymore, nevermind that then. But yes, the footnotes made the book even funnier and Jen seem even more real (and sarcastic, which I love) to me.

All in all I thought this book was great and I'm pretty positive I'll be picking up another one of Jen's books as soon as my library can send it to me (apparently there's a waiting list or something, pish posh!) and I recommend you do the same.

Movie Review: The Hangover

Oh man. I don't even know where to begin with this movie besides the fact that I think I laughed through the entire thing.

I can definitely see why it's gotten number one at the box office the past two weekends, it's freakin hysterical. I think I loved it even more because it really is a "grown up" version of Dude Where's My Car? and I secretly love that movie.

For anyone that doesn't know, the general synopsis of this movie is four guys head to Vegas for a bachelor party. They wake up the next morning in their destroyed hotel room, missing one of their friends, a random assortment of additions to the room and don't remember a thing. Basically the whole movie follows the guys as they try to piece together their night and find their friend Doug (played by Justin Bartha, who I heart!). And what an adventure that is, they go all over Vegas and meet the craziest people it's hard to not laugh.

Basically me, Matt and AJ were either laughing or saying "oh my gosh" the entire movie. Yes some of the humor is crude and isn't for everyone but I admit, it was definitely for me. Even if I did get grossed out with some of the ridiculousness I was still laughing all the way. And the baby! Ah I loved the baby! "His name is Carlos" was our saying for the rest of the night.

All in all a ridiculous summer comedy flick that I'm glad I went to see. And you should too if you feel like saying "WTF?!" and laughing non-stop :)

Book Review: Handle with Care

Before I started Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult I already knew what I was getting myself into. I knew that the subject matter would be intense, I would love or hate every character because they would all narrate at least one chapter and that the ending would be surreal. And I wasn't wrong.

After reading My Sister's Keeper and 19 Minutes I kind of knew what to expect from Jodi's writing so I felt prepared for what I was getting myself into.

Handle with Care follows the story of a young girl, Willow, who has Type III OI and the difficult battle that ensues within her family when her mother decides to sue her obstetrician (who is also her best friend) for wrongful birth malpractice. (full synopsis can be found here)

So what did I think? I don't think I can say I looooved it, but I definitely liked it. I do love how Jodi switches narrators and you can get a feel of everyone's intentions/emotions/reactions. It definitely made sense for such a controversial story where every character had their own opinions. I also love that every character that narrated directed it all to Willow, it was all about her.

In addition to the varying narrators, I love how none of them are perfect. Jodi never makes perfect characters. Although someone may seem fine to everyone else, once they are narrating you get a look into their life and their issues and none of them are without a flaw of some sort.

I also liked that I learned something new. I believe the only time I had heard about OI was on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or something like that, so the fact that this book is all about it really opened my eyes to what an extreme disability it is. It was hard to imagine a five year old going through it all, but nonetheless it happens and wow, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Willow and her family throughout the story.

On the other hand there were just one thing I didn't really like about the book. Like I said before, the end of Jodi's books are always a big twist and usually incredibly emotional. To me, the end of this book seemed so quick and all of a sudden. Although I predicted what would happen, I didn't like how it played out.

But with that said, I was still a fan of the book and would definitely recommend you pick it up if you need a seriously intense story to make you look at your life a little bit differently because that's what every Jodi book does and that's alright by me.

Food Review: Pizza Man

I love pizza. I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day for every meal if I had too, especially if I had some flavor options, mmmm. Love it. So tonight when Matt ordered pizza from Pizza Man I did not object.

We've ordered from them before but this was the first time we got a sausage and sun dried tomato pizza. Oh man. It was heavenly. So heavenly that I forgot to take a picture before I started eating, so alas half a box of pizza it is.

The sun dried tomatoes were plentiful and perfect, definitely a great addition to the pizza. And I can never object to sausage on my pizza either, and this sausage was cooked to perfection. So basically if you have a Pizza Man near you, try this pizza combo and you won't regret it!

Show Review: KA

And the first review is here kids and it's a good one.

While I was in Las Vegas this past weekend I had the awesome pleasure of seeing the Cirque Du Soleil show KA. And oh man was it amazing. Seriously, I love Cirque shows, LOVE them (ba dum ching!). I've seen three (or four, I really cannot remember) other shows before but none of them in Vegas and man was it a different experience.

First of all, this was the first Cirque show since I turned 21 so having a drink at the show was awesome. I had a delicious pina colada and Matt had some fantastic specialty KA drink, Archer's Arrow, that was mmmmtasty. Second of all, like I said this was the first show I had ever seen in Vegas so the stage setup was just astounding and I loved that each seat had speakers built in as well, just intensified the whole experience. And third, our seats were fantastic! Seriously, center section in the middle, amazing.

great seats!

And now on to the show itself. According to Wiki and the site description, KA is one of the only Cirque shows to have a definite plot. KA is about conflict and love as it follows the journey of the imperial twins and their ultimate encounter with KA, the fire that that has power to destroy or illuminate.

Not only did this show have a plot, it also involved a lot of martial arts and less acrobatics compared to other Cirque shows which I both liked and didn't like. I'm more of a fan of the acrobatics and stunts but the fighting and skills of everyone in the show was just as awe worthy.

I would run down the whole show for you but that could take all day, so I'll just hit on a few parts of the act that I loved. As silly and non-acrobatic of performing as it was, I loved a scene that was all about shadow puppets. The scene is with the twin boy and his caretaker and they made some of the most intricate and amazing shadow puppets, I loved it.

the bird show

Another scene that I loved was the slave cage. This huge contraption appeared on the stage that spun around and guys were in it and doing tricks and jumping off the top and jump roping and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped at least four times from being so nervous! Seriously, the stunts were phenomenal! I couldn't believe how risky and crazy and awesome it was.

so awesome.

Lastly, I looooved the final fight scene. Basically the stage was almost vertical and people were running up and down it and jumping and fighting and it was almost too much but it was amazing to watch. And after the final fight fireworks went off and lights were going, it was like I was in a rage or something, haha.

All in all it was a great show and I'm so glad I was able to see it. Cirque du Soleil has yet to disappoint me and I hope they never do!