Win This Bag Week 1

Welcome to Week #1 of  
Win This Bag  
sponsored by 
HipSwap  
hosted by Sidetracked Mom’s Blog

“Win This Bag” is a 6-week event that will feature 6 weekly giveaways. There will be one designer handbag given away every week! Each bag will be an authentic, recognizable designer brand such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach, or Fendi. Our 6^th week will feature a highly coveted designer handbag and you will have the option to claim bonus entries for each of the 5 weekly "Win This Bag" giveaways you entered leading up to this grand finale! So, enter each weekly giveaway to increase your odds of winning!

Here’s what really separates this event from any other handbag giveaway you may have seen before… some of these handbags will come to you directly from a celebrity’s closet! That’s right –

Thanks to HipSwap, you have the opportunity to win the exact bag that may have been on the arm of a famous 
celebrity!  

About our Sponsor:

HipSwap is a mobile and web marketplace that connects buyers and sellers locally and nationally. It enables people to discover what's inside the most fabulous closets, homes, and shops in neighborhoods and cities across America. HipSwap currently offers delivery service in Los Angeles and New York with its iconic pink delivery van.

This week’s prize:

If you are a fan of either Dancing With the Stars,  Karina Smirnoff? or Fendi - or possibly all three - YOU are going to love this prize! 

We are kicking off our 6 weeks of giveaways with Karina Smirnoff's Fendi Spy Bag!

 

How to Enter:

1. Create a HipSwap account. You will be asked to enter your name, email and zip code. If you do not live in the United States, please enter your City and Country in the Zip Code field.

2. Once registered, you can earn additional entries by:

a. Pinning your favorite HipSwap bag on Pinterest

b. “Liking” HipSwap on Facebook

c. Following @HipSwap on Twitter

d. Tweet with the hashtag #winthisbag for daily bonus entries

e. Following the blogs who are bringing you this awesome giveaway

To be credited, all entries must be completed using the Rafflecopter form below. You can complete as many or as few entries as you’d like but remember, the more you do, the better your odds of winning! Plus, once you are following all of your hosts, entering each subsequent weekly Win This Bag Giveaway will be even faster & easier!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to entrants worldwide 18 years of age or older, except where prohibited by law. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook and is Facebook-compliant. 

To qualify to win, you must complete, at minimum, the mandatory entry on the Rafflecopter form. All entries will be forwarded to our sponsor for the purpose of randomly selecting a winner. Winners will be notified by email from a HipSwap representative. Winners will have 72 hours to respond or risk forfeiting their prize. Prize may re-awarded solely by the Sponsor's discretion. Prize fulfillment is the sole responsibility of the sponsor. This blog may not be held liable for Sponsors who do not fulfill prize shipments. The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We reserve the right to publicly publish winners' names and/or likeness. By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

Julep Maven Review & Give Away

My teenage daughter and I have been inseparable since she was born. When she was 6 months old, she was at her first women's retreat, where I was a guest facilitator. She has been all about the girl power every since then. She loves all things girl, and we share a common bond when it comes to pampering ourselves.


That's why we jumped, fingers and toes, into the Julep Maven experience. As Julep Maven's, every month we get a monthly delivery of products designed around our profile just for our nails!

In April, our delivery had foil wrapped chocolate eggs cushioned in pink and yellow paper grass, inside of which our pretty spring colored nail polish was nested!

One month, our anticipated delivery came with bright orange paper and inside were metallic colors and an application set for drawing the metallic's out without touching our nails.

Another month....well, you get the idea!

On the site and on their blog, Julep gives advice and tips for fresh ideas and regular maintenance, like:

TIPS FOR PERFECT POLISH:

• Always apply polish in a cool,
  breeze-free area
• Seal the free edge with
  each layer
• Ensure each coat is fully dry
  (3-5 minutes) before applying
  the next

Visit our blog for more expert tips! 

Julep is awesome. One of the great features is that if we need to take a month or two off, like when she's off at summer camp, or I'm out of the country, we just log into our account and skip those two months!

You can be a Julep Maven too! Julep is so awesome, they are offering you the chance to experience this awesome service for just $0.01. Yep. A penny. All you have to do is sign up here: Julep!
When you're done, comment back here and tell me which Maven Style matches you - I'm American Beauty.

Note: I was not compensated for this post. There is an affiliate link in this post, and I will earn a free month of delivery from Julep when sign up for $0.01. You are under no obligation to do so. The opinions in this review are solely mine, and based on the fun and joy my daughter and I have had using Julep over the past 5 months.

Split Summers or Traveling With Kids

Divorced with children - what does that mean for the summer? If you are me, it doesn't mean much. My kids should spend most of the summer with their Dad, but in reality they spend it with me. The 8 year old spends about a week with his Dad, and the 14 year old spends about a day. Outside of that, summer plans and arrangements are up to me.

Note: Legal arrangements are binding - theoretically. You will find that if you are worth your salt as a parent, you end up doing what is best for your kids, and not what is best for the law. 

This leaves me planning summer activities, including any solo travel for moi. This year, I took a trip to Aruba alone. This meant not only planning my trip, but finding reliable child care for my kids. I have an incredibly busy family, and the youngest children which makes planning a trip like this incredible. I was in planning extreme mode.

To get ready for the trip, I made arrangements for both of my kids. My oldest, the 14 year old, was going to New York with her class for 4 days. She would be flying out the same day I was, so her bags would be pre-packed. She returned from Outdoor School with one day to spare before the New York trip, leaving no time for error in readying her for take off. Electronics recharged, battery back up (in-case); headphone checks; money prep.

Her itinerary had to be distributed in 3 different places so that she would be dropped off in one location, picked up from another, and delivered to my Mom to finish out the school week until I returned from Aruba.

My youngest would be going to my Moms house, where he would be transported daily to and from school and myriad appointments by his older cousin, with the use of my car. His clothes had to be packed for a week . School uniforms, play clothes, night clothes, church clothes plus personal car items, electronics, toys, books and shoes.

This all was delivered a day early to my Moms house along with medicines and itinerary.  Itinerary had to be distributed to Big Cousin and Dad.
His Dad had a plan in place to pick him up on the Tuesday of the week I left and bring him back on Thursday evening. In the case that it did not materialize, I had a talk to mentally prepare my son, explaining that his big cousin would most likely pick him daily from Grandma's house and from school. His Dad picked him up the day before I returned from Aruba.

Finally I packed myself - a day early. I use lists for all of our packing because I will forget and leave the most important things. I was thorough - 5 bathing suits and some shorts. Okay, I packed a little more.

It is no wonder I fell asleep on the plane, which is not my intention. I want to be awake and alert in case I need to respond to anything that might go wrong with the flight. I want to live through any mishap. Sleeping people don't make it through a crash. I was just too exhausted to stay awake. Thank God we arrived safely in Aruba.

Traveling with kids is an experience, whether or not your destination is the same. There is so much packing to be done. You can never really just through them in the car, on a plane, or on a boat without prior planning. That is - unless you plan to spend your vacation time perplexed and out of sorts trying to find the stuff you need because of careless planning.

What have your travel experiences been like with or without your children? I am list oriented and a planner by nature, unable to imagine undertaking such a trip without a plan and a contingency plan. What do you do to get ready for a big trip? Being divorced alters the planning stage a little for us - I do share certain parts of my itinerary with my ex spouse as it relates to the children. What are your thoughts on that? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Split Summers or Traveling with kids while divorced blackdivorcedandvirtuous.blogspot.com/2012/06/split-…
— Blck Divrcd Virtuous (@BDandV) June 23, 2012

Great Blogger Opp - One Free Link!

Join us for EIGHT Consecutive Weekly Giveaways Of High-End Designer Bags

Sign Up Here for a Blogger Opp:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLbWZULW8wMFFEaFhGZWNxX2NsN1E6MQ

 Say Black, Divorced & Virtuous Referred You.

Ready to Go at it Again?

I love music of all kinds. One of my favorite artists is Ne-Yo, a writer and musician. A lot of his music is in the soundtrack of my life over the past 5 years.

I saw the movie 'Act like a Woman, Think Like a Man' with my sisters, which we took for what it was, and had a great time. We did not look at the book or the movie as a manifesto for relationships, but just as Steve Harvey's book based on what he saw happening to women in relationships. It was funny, intuitive and a good read.

The movie was the same - funny, intuitive, and a blast. The soundtrack is awesome. There is a new artist on the soundtrack, Ravaughn, and she appears to be produced by Ne-Yo. Her song is "Same Ol' BS" and the video is below.

(Warning - lyrics include the word BS -just in case you are not intuitive enough to figure that out from the title)

Her voice is awesome. The lyrics reminded me of conversations I have had with friends. Am I really ready to date again, or am I avoiding it because I realize that I am going to encounter the same ol' BS? I don't doubt that God can make a good man. I doubt that man can maintain goodness. What I want is not to have to compromise.

Ne-Yo released a song that reminded me the days I most enjoyed about being married. It's called Lazy Love, and it is below. It is a tiny bit explicit - just a little bit. I just remember loving those days and I don't ever want to have to reconcile that with infidelity again.



I'm a little gun shy on relationships. That's part of the reason why I'm celibate. I cannot reconcile that with God and come to a compromise. (Go figure - God doesn't compromise!) I am not to the place where I want a union with another person. The state of our society doesn't suggest that there is a reason for a man to be good until he is tired of being bad. Even a supposedly saved man can wander. I have too much to do to be bothered with that duality.

I feel so much better emotionally not subjecting myself to the emotional childishness and lack of discipline many men walk around sporting like a badge. I know my limitations, and I 'm not really good at sex as sport, so I abstain. I found that I can't give all of myself to a person if I don't trust that he isn't giving parts of himself to others.

Where do you find yourself on this issue? I know it's a matter of trust. How often should you extend trust to another individual? What are your thoughts? I want to hear them...

Black, Divorced & Virtuous: Ready to Go at it Again? blackdivorcedandvirtuous.blogspot.com/2012/06/ready-…

— Blck Divrcd Virtuous (@BDandV) June 19, 2012

Warner Bros Journey 2 Giveaway

Warner Bros. is proud to announce the release of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island on DVD and Blu-Ray; June 5th 2012 along with the Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Would You Survive The Mysterious Island!? Are you a Wilderness Warrior or a Timid Trekker? Take the Mysterious Island quiz and find out how you would fare in the outback of Atlantis!

Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) finds a hidden signal that he believes will lead him to his long lost grandfather (Michael Caine, Miss Congeniality). With the help of his new step father (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Scorpion King), Sean finds a map and starts his adventure which leads him to Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical) and the island of Atlantis! Sean and his friends battle giant bees, killer lizards, a volcano of gold, and electric eels to escape the lost city and make their way home!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win Warner Bros. DVD Journey 2: Mystery Island with The Rock. Enter hereow.ly/bDv3C

— Blck Divrcd Virtuous (@BDandV) June 18, 2012

Goldbaums Natural Food Co. Review & Giveaway

Goldbaums Natural Food Co. is a premier manufacturer of natural gluten-free products. Their foods are healthful, delicious, and a good choice for diabetics. Staples, like natural brown rice pasta or quick snacks such as zesty rice crisps, every item gets the distinctive Goldbaums' treatment: rigorous testing and tasting by researchers and staff to determine superior caliber product. Passionate about good health without compromising on flavor, Goldbaums is dedicated to excellence! All products are manufactured in a facility that is free of soy, gluten, dairy & nuts.

  

Review done by Donna's Deals and More 

My favorite are the Sugar Cones. I ate my very first one straight out of the box like a cookie. It was delicious! It did not taste like your average sugar free product and was full of flavor. The pasta products are delicious too. They're made with brown rice, and are low-fat, sugar free, gluten free, wheat free, and GMO free. They cook up like actual pasta; not mushy like some of the gluten free pasta I have tried. The microwaveable Wonder Meals are another great product and you don't have to freeze them! They travel well and taste super fresh. I don't know how Goldbaums does it, but they are all natural and preservative free!

One of our lucky readers will get the chance to try Goldbaums Natural Food Co. products! For a chance to win, enter on the rafflecopter below.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Open to US only, must be 18 yrs or older. *Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Black, Divorced and Virtuous is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Beauticontrol Giveaway! Enter to Win

I am always encouraging you to do something for yourself, whether it be block out time for just for you, spend intimate time with God, or pamper yourself. Here is a great opportunity to win unique pampering products just for you.  Enter below to win this amazing $175 BeautiControl Spa Prize Package!

This giveaway is sponsored by Slap Dash Mom. These are all full size products and can be purchased online.

Prize Package Contents

Show of Hands Age Defying Hand Treatment SPF 15, 3oz - $14
Herbal Serenity Body Gelee, 6.7oz - $16
Skinlogics Lip Balm SPF 20 - $12
Cell Block C Reform Day Cream SPF 20, 1oz - $30
Margarita Instant Manicure, 10z - $28
Margarita Bath Salts, 10oz - $22
Margarita Extreme Repair Hand Creme, 3.4oz - $15
Margarita Foot Scrub, 6oz - $20
Margarita Foot Creme, 5oz - $16

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share this giveaway for extra entries!

This giveaway is available to the U.S. only.

Victoria's Secret Flash Giveaway Event!

Welcome to the $50 Victoria's Secret Gift Card Flash Giveaway hosted by Giveaway Promote.   We've joined a fantastic group of bloggers to give away a $50 Victoria's Secret Gift Card to one lucky person.

Here at BDandV, we encourage you to do something to pamper yourself. Enter for a chance to win this gift card and splurge on YOU!. Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway. One winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.  

Do you love entering giveaways, sweepstakes and contests? You'll find the latest and greatest listed at Giveaway Promote. You can submit your giveaways and upcoming giveaway events for free today!
  

This giveaway is open in the United States. It will end at 11:59pm EST on June 11th, 2012.