Friday, January 14, 2011

A Look Back For CSNStores.com and Giveaway Announcement!

 2010 was extra good to CSN Stores.  This year they climbed up the rankings from 63 to 61 of the top 500 Internet Retailers by Internet Retailer Magazine.  That is in contrast to some other companies who compete with the retail internet giant!  They haven't seen the success or growth that CSNStores.com has!


I believe there are several reasons for the success of this entity!  First of all, the stores have a great rapport with the blogging community!  They have been and continue to be very generous with bloggers who can write a decent review of the stores.  They give the bloggers a choice--basically they can either receive a gift certificate to write a post or bloggers may host a giveaway for their audience.  Most bloggers are aware of the great giveaways that CSNStores is able to drive and that, in turn, creates a loyal following!


Next, CSNStores.com is very highly ranked on the Google Search site.  For instance, if you want or need a Bed, you can put out a search for that and most likely you will see at the top of the search results BedroomFurniture.com, which is one of the over 200 CSN Stores!  It is really quite remarkable how CSN began with only two employees, Naraj Shah and Steve Conine in 2002, and now boasts over 600 employees, making it one of the top three home and office goods e-tailers in the United States!

Yet another reason for their great success is their great customer service!  I have seen many people praise the customer service department for either giving them great prices because CSN wants to be competitive with any and all competition or for accepting exchanges and returns cheerfully without a lot of hassle. When I placed an order for my laptop messenger bag, it came within a few days and I was very happy with the quality!  And the price was right! 


I'm excited for a couple of reasons!  First of all, I will be opening up another great $75 giveaway very soon and I always like the hustle bustle that these events generate on my blog! I'm also really excited because CSN will be opening up a really large branch of their retail store in my state of Utah!  It will employ over 250 people with benefits.  Thanks so much CSNStores.com

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Alpine Weight Loss Secrets! {Review}


 I am really excited about a book I was introduced to a week ago. Its called Alpine Weight Loss Secrets by Stefan Aschan!  Was one of your New Years resolutions to get into shape?  Have you taken out a gym membership or resolved to get back to the gym to lose weight and get your best body yet?  That was me last year.  I actually went to the gym quite a bit~but to not much avail.  I barely managed to maintain my mildly overweight frame and spent a lot of time wishing I was somewhere else or that I didnt have to go.  However, this year I decided not to do this mundane thing to myself.  A gym takes so much time.  Its not just the workout itself, its the changing into the gym clothing, the getting there in the car, the waiting around for equipment or for class to start, driving back afterwards, yada yada yadaSo a one-hour workout for me could easily become a time investment of 2 hours.  An extra hour each time I work out is a huge time investment.  After all, Ive got blogging to do (which is part of my problem, I admit)!  This year I decided not to renew my gym membership.  Ive got the internet, TV, and the great outdoors to design my own exercise program.  And now, Ive got another resource that I will totally put into useIts called Alpine Weight Loss Secrets by Stefan Aschan, Europes premier  Youngevity Coach!  Why is the term youngevity used?  Because living a long life isnt the ultimate goal.  One also wants to live life with the ability to be an active participant!   Let me tell you, I learned so much from this book and it solidified my belief that you dont need to punish yourself to keep in shape!  You just need to be smart about it and have the tools.  As a matter of fact, when following Stefans guidelines, I can see how one will feel rewarded as she/he gets in better and better shape and ultimately into the best shape of their life, no matter what age!   

Heres what a client said after going through his program:
Susan Hudson, 51
Thank you for changing my life. Post-menopausal, at 51 I thought all I had to look forward to was a downhill slump of more sagging and drooping. In less than two months your exercises and nutritional recipes have helped me to lose the fat, restore tone and muscle to my body, and have given me more energy than I have had in 20 years. I went from 145 lbs to 125 lbs. My friends tell me I look 35, and I have the energy I had at 20. And my sexual appetite has been rekindled!  You are a miracle worker. By the way have you got another recipe for chicken that I can try?
The beauty about this program is that it is not only for over 40 adults but for younger men and women as well!  Everyone can see "not just great results but stunning results!" 

Stefan came to the U.S. in 1997 after people told him that the United States could use him because of his progressive and advanced ideas regarding physical fitness.  He knows how to duplicate the great health and lean physiques of the people who live the Alpine Way of life for us folks who live in obese America.  America has done its citizens no favors in the health arena.  We have bad convenience foods, bad sedentary habits, and the best excuses as to why we cant get off our rear ends of any people in the world!   Stefan grew up around Vienna, Austria, in a small village called Streifing.  The daily activities included trekking to neighboring villages either by foot or bike, playing with his friends, working on the village farms, ice skating, skiing, racing, and just having fun outdoors.  The terrain there has very steep hills, even mountains at a high altitude.  And of course there are also the valleys.  This is definitely an Alpine environment.

  In my small village, there was always something physical to do. Most summer
days we would ride our bikes over to our friend’s house, which was a few
villages and about five steep hills away, and then we’d race or go swimming. At
harvest time, we helped farmers bring in their crops, hoisting bales of hay onto
trucks, and crushing the grapes they grew. Most kids learned to ski and ice
skate a day or two after they learned to walk, and so did I. (Okay, I’m exaggerating;
it was really a week after!) It was just another way to stay active throughout
winter. Looking back, I realize that my active, sports-filled childhood could not have been better training for the life I lead today as a fitness expert.  Stefan Aschan

In Alpine Weight Loss Secrets, new and fresh ideas about food are introduced.  The 60 recipes are amazing because they take beautiful, fresh foods and teach you step-by-step how to keep them healthy and make them taste yummy!  You will have access to over 16 exercises that have 3 different levels so you can choose which level is right for you!  There is a section on how to flatten your belly and its NOT with exercise.  There are at least 10 worksheets for you to put these new ideas in concrete form, making them easier to follow through with! 
After reviewing this book, I am anxious to go back and really digest it and go for some of these life-changing habits!  I can hardly wait!  For more information, also go to his website!

I'd like to thank Stefan for letting me have an online copy of his book to review!  All of the opinions in this review are mine!  



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Something To Wear! Extra entries for Blogtastic Extravaganza!

I am getting more excited as the time progresses!  Blogtastic, something I have alluded to before, is less than a week away.  I will accept extra entries for each prize package right now and throughout the giveaway!  Since my theme, 'A GAL NEEDS...Something To Wear' is pretty self-explanatory, let me introduce you to the two prize packages I will be offering!  Thank you for leaving your extra entry comments here and not on my main Blogtastic Extravaganza post. 

Prize Package I (Open to US Only):
  •  meesh & mia will be giving away a piece from their currently licensed and available collegiate  apparel!
 Uptown Girls Too will be giving away a black, distressed, blue bling baseball cap!

 Prize Package II (Open to US only): 

eShakti will be giving away a fabulous dress of choice!
  Spunky Junky will be giving away a cute headband from her etsy shop!
May not be exactly like the one posted!
 
MANDATORY:  You must be a Google Friend Follower and leave me a comment that you are.  In the same comment, tell me which prize pack you are interested in.  If you are interested in both, just let me know!

Extra Entries - (Leave a comment for each one that you do!):

  • Visit meesh & mia and tell me your favorite piece from your favorite school!
  • Visit eShakti and pick out a dress that you would love to own!  Leave me the link!

  • Like eShakti on Facebook and leave a comment that A GAL NEEDS...sent you!
  • Like Uptown Girls Too on Facebook!  Mention that A GAL NEEDS...sent you!
  • Like Spunky Junky on Facebook!  Mention that A GAL NEEDS...sent you!
These are my extra entries for the Blogmania event, held on January 18th through January 22nd.  You must be entered in the main giveaway post for any of these extra entries to count!  Note also that there is a mandatory entry here. You may complete these entries at any time until January 22nd, when Blogmania closes!   

Saturday, January 8, 2011

SANITY VS. VANITY

Are you crazy about being tan? If you are, you're not alone. Women, especially under the age of 35 and even men are very captivated by the bronze glow that laying in a tanning bed brings!  Over the past 20 years tanning beds have become ever more popular, casting ultraviolet light on a person's body in as little as 10-minute increments and provide a bronze glow - the quintessential Western image of beauty.  However, there has been a debate going on between tanning professionals and concerned researchers, citizens and parents about the danger of tanning booths.  Many scientists are now saying that tanning booths may be even more harmful than direct exposure to sunlight, a point which is strongly contested by the tanning professionals!  They say that indoor UV light is a better option because it limits sun exposure and helps the body protect against too much sun by building up a melanin layer at the top of the skin.  The melanin fliters out the UVA and UVB rays. 

Regardless of the rhetoric, if I knew that I was at a higher risk of melanoma because I had a certain gene mutation,CDKN2A, of which 67 percent of all melanomas result from its presence, I think I'd avoid tanning beds AND sun exposure, even if it meant no bronzed glow for me!  That is what the advocates of genetic testing for children and adolescents are saying - that kids would make wiser choices if they knew for a fact what their genetics said about it!  The down side would be that screening at such a young age might compromise their freedom of choice and maybe bring on worries and fears about their increased risk of getting cancer.  It can also be an expensive procedure and is not always covered by insurance! 

For Maryann Gerber, the choice is a no-brainer.  She began using tanning beds at age 20.  For 4 years, she went almost weekly. She noticed that she had a mole on her cheek and fortunately the same vanity that led her to the booths, led her to a plastic surgeon to have the mole removed.  She got a call a day later,informing her that she had melanoma.  10 years later, many scars on her face and back and multiple mole removals have changed her philosophy about wanting to be tan. 
Maryann immediately after surgery
She now speaks around the state of Utah, urging youth to always wear sunblock and get regular check-ups to catch any indications of melanoma early enough to treat it.  When she has children of her own, she definitely plans to use all the precautions with them, as well as genetic testing so that they will be fully armed with knowledge for prevention.


Maryann in the healing stages


She has been through too much to see it again in someone she loves...


Maryann 10 years after surgery
This was taken from several articles in The Deseret News, and is not a sponsored post.









Saturday, January 1, 2011

$15 Target Giveaway! Now Closed!

Thank you one and all for entering this giveaway.  I loved all of your comments and it really does make my day!  Congratulations to #11~
Wonder said...
also follow via gfc
January 2, 2011 7:29 AM
 It's time to give back to all the great sponsors and for all the great readership I've received over the past couple months!  I'd love to give out a Target GC because Target has a little bit of everything.  If you need to get essentials like food, you can do that, if you want to get fun items like overstock Christmas items, you can!  
I'm giving out a $15 Target Gift Card to one of my fabulous followers!  Here's what you need to do to win!   Please read one or all of the reviews or posts listed below and choose one or all to make a comment on and come back to let me know which ones you did - because I am shamelessly plugging for comments!  They make my day!  You should also be a Google Friend Follower to participate, thanks!
meesh & mia
eShakti
A GAL NEEDS...To Play Disc Golf!
Sanity vs. Vanity
 Extra entries:
  • Grab my button and tell me where you put it!
  • Subscribe to my e-mails!
  • Tweet this and leave me your tweet status!  (Can do this daily!)  "A GAL NEEDS...$15 to Target! http://t.co/pdkVX0k  1/25"
This giveaway will conclude on January 25, 2011!  Open to US and Canada!  The winner will be contacted by e-mail and the card will be sent with delivery confirmation so I know you received it!  I was not provided any incentive for this giveaway other than my own crazy idea of what fun is!

Friday, December 31, 2010

Tropical Traditions Coconut Water Vinegar Giveaway!

Congratulations to #162, Kimberly, who said,
I subscribe Tropical Traditions emails. #2
kirbycolby at gmail dot com

I decided to try Tropical Traditions Coconut Water Vinegar when I read an article about coconut water being so good for you!  Would you like to read the article?  It's really short, so shouldn't take too much time.  I'm not saying, nor is Tropical Traditions, how much truth there is to it, if any, but you can decide for yourself!  I realize that this is not coconut water, but vinegar. And actually, because of the way Tropical Traditions has made sure to retain all of the nutrients in the incubation process, the nutrients found in the raw coconut water are actually enhanced! 


Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Water Vinegar is truly unique and is the first of its kind in the US market! Most vinegars are clear because they are distilled and originally made from white sugar. Our Organic Coconut Water Vinegar is not distilled, but raw. It contains the mother of vinegar. In the Philippines most all commercial vinegars are distilled, and the "coconut vinegars" are not made from the nutrient-packed coconut water from inside the coconut, but from the sap of the coconut tree which is used to make lambanog, an alcoholic drink similar to vodka. These "coconut vinegars" are by-products of the lambanog industry.  Tropical Traditions is the first company to make a truly organic product from the water of organic coconuts which is raw and fermented with fair-trade organic Muscabado whole cane sugar. This is one of the most nutrient-packed and healthiest vinegars you will find anywhere in the world!
 Not only is this vinegar obviously wonderful to cook with, it is great to use on the hair to treat oiliness, and a very nutritious addition to drinks.  Add 1 - 2 tsps. of coconut water vinegar to water, juice or other drinks.  I'm very excited and optimistic about adding this vinegar to the other wonderful products, like their organic pumpkin seeds, that Tropical Traditions has converted me to! 


Check out the recipes at Tropical Traditions for great ways to use their Coconut Water Vinegar and other great products!  Right now the Organic Coconut Water Vinegar at Tropical Traditions is on sale for $7.99 for 16 ounces and $14.50 for 32 ounces! Use the first time buyer code  5954910 for your free Coconut Oil Book with over 85 yummy recipes at your disposal!

You are also certainly welcome to stick around and enter to win a 32 oz. jar of this vinegar!  Tropical Traditions has allowed me to give one of my absolutely wonderful readers a jar just like the one I was able to try!  Here's what you need to do to enter:


MANDATORY:  Visit the Tropical Traditions Recipe Blog and tell me a great recipe that you'd like to try!!  This will qualify you for the drawing at the end of the giveaway as long as I have a way to contact you!

Optional Extra Entries:  Leave 1 comment for every extra entry indicated below!

+2 Follow “me” on Twitter.- 2 entries – Leave your Twitter name

+2 Follow along on Google Friend Connect!  


+2 Subscribe to my e-mails! (right sidebar!)

+2 Subscribe to Tropical Traditions e-mail updates!


+2 Grab my button and post it on your blog!  Tell me where I can find it! (right side bar)


+1 Tweet this giveaway! (2x/day) Leave me the tweet status!   "A GAL NEEDS...Tropical Traditions Coconut Water Giveaway! (1/17) http://t.co/gmqdqf9 "


+1 Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter!


+3 Stumble, Facebook, Blog or list this on a Giveaway linky.  Leave the link to where you did!


+2 Facebook me! 

This giveaway will end on January 17, 2011 at 11:59 pm.  This is open to both US and Canada and entrants must be 21 years of age or older!  Special thanks to Tropical Traditions for providing me with a sample to review!