Summer is Passing Us By

Like it or not, the summer is slipping away.

And so, therefore, is this....

And this....

Soon all these will fade away....

 As will the beauty of these....

Weekends away will no longer be spent here....

like so many were this summer.

Heat will be replaced with cool.

Long days will give way to long nights.

Let us wring out the last drops of the season, content in the present, and leaving tomorrow for itself.

Review and Giveaway with Shenzhen Knives

In addition to being the girl who never splurged on pots and pans, I'm also the girl who always bought cheap knives.  Never again!

Meet Shenzhen Knives, based in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Shenzhen offers affordable but very high quality ceramic knives.   

Their knives feature white zirconium oxide blades that are effective and beautiful!  These knives are great for cutting meats or vegetables.

For this review, I was sent a six-inch ceramic chef's knife, which retails for $34.99.   

The two words I would use to describe using this knife would be smooth and effortless.  I was able to quickly and easily slice with minimal effort, and the results were a clean, easy cut.  There was no need to press into the food, which usually leads to squishing it (not good). 

Shenzhen Knives has offered to give a Till Death Do Us Part reader their very own six-inch chef's knife.  Here's how to win!

To Enter:

(Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.)

1.  Be (or become) a follower of Till Death Do Us Part. (Mandatory)

2.  Like the Shenzhen Knives facebook page.

3.  Follow Shenzhen Knives on Twitter.

4. Follow Till Death Do Us Part on Twitter.

5.  Tweet about this giveaway (please leave a link in your comment).

6. Facebook about this giveaways (please leave a link in your comment).

7. Post about this giveaway on your blog or add it to your sidebar (please leave a link in your comment).

 

SEVEN ways to win!  This contest will be open until Sunday, September 4 at 10 p.m. CST.  Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win!

 

Good luck! 

Green Pan Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the saute pan gift set from Green Pan is Susan, who said, "I'm following you on twitter now."  Congratulations!

Thanks to all those who entered.  Click here to enter the Ultimate Green Store notebook and pencils giveaway or here to enter the Shenzhen Knives giveaway!

Review and Giveaway with The Ultimate Green Store

Ready to learn about a great company and enter to win a $25 gift credit?

Many companies today are focusing on ensuring that their products are eco-friendly.  The Ultimate Green Store is one of those companies.  These folks care about a healthy earth, and they care about making products that are sustainable, recyclable, and eco-friendly.

Several things make The Ultimate Green Store stand out from a sea of eco-conscious competitors.  These are the reasonable price of its products and the huge selection offered! They carry everything from skin care products to messenger bags.

For this review, I was sent these two unique banana paper notebooks and a set of recycled newspaper pencils.

These notebooks are made from 80% recycled products and 20% banana paper!  How neat is that!  I write tons of lists, keep tons of records, and I journal, so I'm a notebook aficionado.  I love the size of this one.  It's big enough for all my "thoughts," but it's not bulky.  It's also beautiful! And I'm all about making life beautiful.  The pencils are also totally unique and stylish, and of course, eco-friendly--they're made of 100% recycled newspaper.  No new trees necessary! 

The Ultimate Green Store has offered to give one Till Death Do Us Part reader a $25 gift certificate. 

What will you choose?

Baby bedding...

Organic cotton towels....

Candle holders....

 Messenger bags....

Or some other treasure from their extensive line?  There are tons of choices, many under $25!  As I mentioned earlier, the prices are great!

Ready to win?

To Enter:

(Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.  You must be a follower of Till Death Do Us Part to enter!)

1) Like The Ultimate Green Store on Facebook.

2)  Sign up for The Ultimate Green Store's newsletter.  (Please enter "Till Death To Us Part" in the contest code section.)

Two simple ways to enter!  This giveaway will be open until Sunday, September 4th at 10 p.m. central time.  Winner will be chosen via random.org.  Good luck!

*Author was supplied with products to review.  All opinions and statements, however, are solely that of the author.

Christmas Gift Ideas for My Husband

Why is it so hard to pick out a Christmas gift for my husband?  Why are guys just hard to buy for in general?   Why am I already stressing out over Christmas gifts in August?

My goal this year is to gather my gifts along the way and avoid "Christmas Panic" (defined as fewer a situation in which there are fewer than 7 days left until Christmas and you have fewer than half your gifts purchased).  I'm already well on my way with several gifts checked off the list already.

Back to my husband.  He's outdoorsy, professional, and loves movies.  He also loves entertaining, so my first thought was a new grill, like these Napoleon grills.  He really likes to grill, see?

So that's an option, definitely.  Adding to the gift-decision stress is the fact that I have never bought him a Christmas gift as his wife.  Last year was our first Christmas, and we had only been married six months and had already moved twice, so we agreed that for the sake of our finances, we'd skip giving each other gifts. 

So the pressure is on!  I technically have two Christmases to make up for. In that case, I guess that means I should go with the Napoleon gourmet grills instead!

Other options to consider:

Outdoorsey clothes from Mountain Hardware.  He loves that stuff.  I think he fancies himself to be rugged.  How adorable!

Seeing as how grilling and clothes (yes, you heard me) really are two of his favorite things, maybe I could go with both.  Maybe more budget-friendly options, like this Weber portable gas grill and a jacket from Old Navy.

You heard it here first....no Christmas Panic for me this year!

My Dog Sheds--Review with FURminator

Here in southern Mississippi, it's hot.  Really hot.  Earlier this morning, the thermometer on my back porch read 111 degrees. 

Such a blistering temperature doesn't just mean sweating Mississippians.  It means shedding pets.   And when I say shedding, I mean they're coming out of their fur like it's going out of style.

I have used tons of pet brushes in the past but never felt they were very effective.  That opinion changed completely when I tried the FURminator!

Meet my big brown dog, Coy.

He sheds a lot.  The amount is appxomately equal to what our two cats shed added together times infinity.  He's a young, active dog, so I know he's hot in these temperatures!  For this review, I was a send a short-hair medium dog deshedding tool.

Brushing the dog was very easy, and Coy didn't mind at all.  My husband wanted to try it too!

After brushing for only a few strokes, this is the amount of hair we'd removed....ick!

The results have been very, very noticeable.  There's a lot less hair on our floors, and Coy's coat is visibly more shiny.  Plainly put, we love our FURminator and have used it constantly.  It's sturdy, high-quality, and of course, removes tons of hair. 

The best feature, by far, of the FURminator, though, is its hair-release mechanism.  Push a button and the hair is released from the brush.  No need to pick it out by hand!  The messy, painstaking, time-consuming process of removing the hair from the brush is the biggest qualm I've had with other pet hair groomers.

My advice to you is two-fold.  One, get a FURminator.  Two, be prepared for the unreal amount of hair you're about to remove from your pet!

The FURminator tool is available for dogs of all sizes and fur lengths.  And of course, they make them for cats and kittens as well!  And if you're worried about ordering online, don't be.  Their customer service department is friendly and helpful and would be glad to guide you in ordering the correct product.

If you'd like to connect with FURminator in other ways, you can visit their Facebook and Twitter pages in addition to their website.

Now get yourself a FURminator.  Coy approves. :)

(*Author was supplied with a free product to review.  All opinions and statements, however, are solely that of the author.)

Black and White Hoops

I'm loving embroidery hoop art these days.  And I'm loving black and white.

It's also fun to throw some browns in the mix.

Combining the rough burlap with the elegant toile creates a beautiful look.

I paired a friendly kitty with my burlap and toile.  Stark and simple.  

Calm and cool.

Just like fall.