Author: Ahmet Zappa
Item Reviewed: Because I’m Your Dad Book
Item Given Away: Because I’m Your Dad Prize Pack
Start Date: May 16
End Date: May 31

Because I’m your dad, you can have spaghetti for breakfast, French toast for dinner, and rocky road ice cream in the bathtub.

In a text that’s both playful and loving, a father expresses his hopes and dreams for a one-of-a-kind relationship with his child. Whimsical monster characters bring the silly and sweet scenes to life and keep the book universal. The book’s ending, a moving tribute to the author’s father, guarantees intergenerational appeal.

Because I’m your dad, I will do all of these things for you and more . . .
because that’s what my dad did for me.

About the author – Ahmet Zappa is the son of late rock musician/composer Frank Zappa and, as he puts it, “My awesome mother, Gail.” Because I’m Your Dad is both a tribute to his happy childhood and a promise to his daughter, Halo. Ahmet grew up with a learning disability and now writes books to help children discover how wonderful reading can be. Through his production company, Monsterfoot Productions, Ahmet has developed several television shows and movies, including “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”

Fun Stuff

My Thoughts

This is a really cute book and my daughter loved it. We read it every night before bed and she has her daddy read it to her in the morning.

I have been given the opportunity to host a giveaway where one Dirty t Shirt reader can win the prize pack shown below:

Rock out with your dad this Father’s Day!

• Kid’s Bongo Drums
• A copy of Because I’m Your Dad

Please see rules below to enter to win today!

Rules

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DoubleTree by Hilton #DTourParty Twitter party details

What:  Research says 70% of people don’t know where they’re going when beginning the trip-planning process. Are you one of them?

This month, we’re throwing a Twitter party to celebrate with DoubleTree by Hilton as they launch DTour, the first-of-its-kind YouTube channel for the hotel industry, created in collaboration with Google.

DTour offers travelers a whole new way to plan and share trips. It’s so easy – simply visit the site to upload a photo snapped on Instagram or a video from Facebook. Users can also explore other travelers’ favorite photos, videos, tips and stories to get inspired to plan the trips they’ve always wanted to take!

To celebrate the launch of DTour, DoubleTree by Hilton is also hosting the DTour of a Lifetime competition—a search for six people ready for the adventures of a lifetime. These six chosen winners will serve as brand ambassadors, traveling around the world, experiencing DoubleTree by Hilton hospitality, and creating their own travel tips and stories for DTour. Join the Twitter party to find out more on how to enter!

Travel expert Julia Dimon (@JuliaDimon), who blogs about her adventures at Travel Junkie Julia, will join us for the party. Bring your questions for this travel guru!

When: Tuesday, May 21, at 12 noon ET (the party will last one hour)

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #DTourParty hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/dtourparty

Hashtag: #DTourParty

Prizes: We will award five prizes during the party. Winners will be chosen randomly based on correct responses to trivia questions.

• Q1 – 1 tin of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies
• Q2 – 2 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies
• Q3 – 3 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies
• Q4 – 4 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies
• Grand Prize (Q5) – Complimentary two-night stay at any DoubleTree by Hilton location

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann
TweetGrid for the party: http://bit.ly/15Nrte2

Neutrogena Skin Cleanser #NTGDERM Twitter party details

What:  Most of us have heard of spring cleaning for our living space – but have you considered spring cleaning for your skin?

Changes of temperature can have an effect on your skin – and with spring quickly transitioning into summer, there’s no better time to think about your skincare routine.

Join dermatologist Dr. Doris Day and Neutrogena, the number one dermatologist-recommended skincare brand, for a Twitter party to discuss how you can do some “spring cleaning” for your skin, the importance of daily facial cleansing, and the best products to help you during the seasonal change.

Bring your skincare questions for the dermatologist-on-call Dr. Doris Day, who will be joining us for the party and sharing her tips and expertise.

When: Thursday, May 16, at 12 noon ET (the party will last one hour)

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #NTGDERM hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/NTGDERM

Hashtag: #NTGDERM

Prizes: Throughout the party, we will be giving away prize baskets with Dr. Day’s favorite Neutrogena skincare products, including the following:

• Pore Refining Daily Cleanser
• Pore Refining Toner
• Pore Refining Exfoliating Cleanser
• Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Cleanser/Mask
• Oil-Free Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 35
• Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

For more information on skin care from Neutrogena, check out the Neutrogena Expert Center: http://bit.ly/15HXMdn

TweetGrid for the party: http://bit.ly/YU2r9Q

I Have Cancer….

Those were the three words that I heard over the phone when my husband called me. Those are the three words that made me drop to my knees and sob uncontrollably when I hung up the phone. Those are the three words that made me cling to my husband when he walked in the door. Those are the three words that dropped the floor out from under us.

I am sad.

I am pissed off that he has to go through this.

I am worried.

I am strong.

That last one is so not true, but I need to be. For him. For our children. For our family.

Luckily he has been monitoring this situation for the last two years. His PSA levels on his tests every six months have been bad, then good, then bad again. This last time he was put on antibiotics for one month. That didn’t work so they decided to do a biopsy. We waited for those results. They were to come in before our 18 year anniversary celebration but he got a call that they weren’t in yet. That worried me, but we put it out of our mind and had an amazing weekend together. We came home and he had an appointment Monday morning. He said I didn’t have to go with, that it would be a quick in and out because nothing was wrong. I believed him.

Fifteen minutes into his appointment I texted him to see how it was going, after all it was supposed to be a quick in and out. He didn’t answer me. 45 minutes in I was beyond worried, pacing the floor, trying to suppress a panic attack, I texted him again and said, “Ok now I am worried”. He didn’t answer. My phone rang after an hour had passed. I answered and asked immediately how it went. There was a slight pause, but to me it felt like it lasted forever and he said…

“I have cancer.”

“What?” I heard him, I just wanted to hear a different response. I was sure I heard wrong, I wanted to believe that the connection went fuzzy when he said the word don’t. I knew I heard him right the first time, I knew that as soon as he said it again. I started crying, I couldn’t control it. I was mad that I was not there with him, to hold him, to support him. He said he was coming home. I hung up and dropped to my knees and just let loose. I am shocked no one came to my door to see that everything was ok. The sounds that came out of me I didn’t recognize.

That 30 minute drive home took forever, I wanted him home with me so I could hold him and tell him everything will be alright. When he finally did get home, we held each other for a long time, crying together. The rest of that day was a blur, we were numb, and we had to let everyone else know. That was hard, because we know that he has to have surgery to remove his prostate, but the two tests, a bone scan and a CT scan, that he had last week are still unknown. The results will be given to us on Wednesday’s appointment. The tests were given to make sure that he doesn’t have cancer anywhere else in his body. I pray they come back clean.

Until we have that appointment Wednesday morning we are walking around in a haze, waiting is hard, I am not the most patient person in the world. In the meantime I will be his rock, his shoulder to cry on and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He is my whole world and I love him fiercely. He will beat this!

I want to tell you all, your husband needs to get checked out regularly, if he doesn’t make the appointment, drag him kicking and screaming to the doctor. Catching it early is so important. One thought that is a constant in the back of both my husbands and my mind is this one thing, his dad didn’t like going to the doctor to get check ups, he found out he had cancer after it was too late, he passed away when he was 49, he had cancer.

Company: P&G
Item Reviewed: New COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation creates a smooth, flawless look that lasts all day through capturing the essence of a primer, foundation and concealer in one bottle.

• The patented formula provides full coverage with a lightweight, blendable application.
• The foundation sets the look like a primer, corrects imperfections like a concealer and perfects with a beautiful, matte finish.
• The shade palette covers light to deep skin tones and has been revamped with a balance of cool, neutral, and warm undertones to beautifully meet the shade needs of all women.
• Includes broad spectrum SPF 20

Primer – Advanced flexi-hold polymer technology sets the foundation in place, immobilizing other foundation ingredients, yet allowing film to move with the face and remain flexible for a lightweight feel.

Foundation – Microscopic topography modifiers gently disrupt the surface of foundation film to diffuse light and create a soft, matte finish.

Concealer – Micro-correctors conceal imperfections as they work to instantly provide coverage and a matte finish through absorbing and removing excess oil and sebum from the skin. The correctors provide opacity, so more product can be spot applied for added concealment of imperfections.

My Thoughts

I am always trying out new foundations and concealers to find the one that helps cover my blemishes and makes my skin look flawless. I have been through many and have learned a few things from my daughter on what she looks for. When I received the New COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation my daughter took it to use on herself (she doesn’t need it but uses it anyway) and was excited about the outcome so she came out and sat me down to do my makeup. I must say the outcome was great…

My red blotches are gone, the dark circles under my eyes are gone and I loved it. I also loved that it doesn’t feel so greasy as some others do and I like that it was light feeling. I have been using COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation and have thrown all others away. It works and I will stick with it.

This past weekend my husband and I celebrated 18 years of being together and I couldn’t have picked a better place to stay at than the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando. That realization happened right from the very start…

We arrived at the hotel and I was immediately welcomed, directed to where I needed to go and helped in a quick and friendly fashion. My room was available right away and we were whisked off to the second floor. The room was clean and bright with a perfect view of the pool, which started calling my name the second I saw it, so we got our swim suits on and headed down. Now I want to break right here to tell you that throughout our weekend stay both my husband and I were very impressed with the friendliness of the staff, in every department! We were always greeted, taken care of and all that every person had a smile on their face, they went out of their way to help us, like being concerned we were playing ping pong in the sun too long and moving the table, yes the whole table, into the shade. My husband and I were so very pleased by the friendliness and it added such a positive glow to our celebration.

After we were at the pool for a few hours we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner but before we headed to CityWalk we toured the hotel and took pictures of items I found of my favorite singers. I loved the music that played throughout the hotel and definitely got my 80s Rock fix out by the pool, the Hard Rock Hotel is the perfect hotel for me because I love music so much! After our dinner and hanging out at CityWalk (which makes the Hard Rock Hotel so convenient being right there on property) we headed back to the hotel to have a few drinks at the Velvet bar, which was a great way to unwind from the evening.

Even the ducks had fun

The next day we hit the theme parks and were able to do both parks (we had tickets) in less than six hours due to another fun perk of staying at a Universal Orlando hotel, Universal Express. We literally walked on every ride. Sadly, we missed the early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter because we overslept, but hey if you can’t sleep in on vacation it wouldn’t feel like one Being able to do everything we love at the theme parks afforded us a chance to do another of our favorite things, hang out at the Hogs Head Bar for a few drinks and people watching.

We finally headed back to the hotel and got ready to have dinner at the Hard Rock Café, which was by far the best meal and service we have had in a long time. The atmosphere was amazing, I hadn’t eaten at the Café since it was in the old building that was, I think, by the old Bates motel. The food was delicious, the wine selection was great and we really had a great time there. The fun times continued when we headed over to the Rising Star karaoke bar. I love karaoke, and we had so much fun hanging out until waaaaaayyyy past my bedtime, I think for the first time in six years. Great times!

On Sunday, we woke up early and had breakfast and waited for our girls to be dropped off so they could get a little swimming in before we checked out. They loved the pool and my youngest was obsessed with the water slide, I lost count of how many times she ran up there to slide down to the pool. We had lunch and then headed home. My husband and I were sad to leave, it was the most enjoyable weekend we had together in a long time and we needed the complete relaxation and to be surrounded by the friendliness of everyone who works at the Hard Rock Hotel. We are already planning our next trip back and we can’t wait for it. If you will be in the Orlando area visiting Universal Orlando I HIGHLY recommend staying at the Hard Rock Hotel you will have so much fun and will thoroughly enjoy it!

*Top photo taken from website, was so excited I forgot to take my own. All other photos are mine.

I was comped one nights stay for coverage, the second night and all other fees I covered myself.

Company: Shaklee
Item Reviewed: Get Clean Starter Kit
Item Given Away: Get Clean Starter Kit
Start Date: April 24
End Date: May 9

From website…

Get Clean® Starter Kit

We believe that health isn’t just about what you put in your body, it’s about everything around you. We bring you a full line of natural and nontoxic cleaning choices that are Safe for You, Your Home, and Your Planet® called Get Clean®.

• No harmful fumes or hazardous chemicals.
• Outperforms 20 national leading brands.
• You would spend $3400 for ready to use cleaners to get the same amount of clean found in the Get Clean® Starter Kit!*
• Features Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate – just 1/4 tsp. makes 16oz. of all-purpose cleaner for only 3 cents.
• And when you purchase the Get Clean® Starter Kit you also make a positive impact on the planet:
• Keep 108 pounds of packaging waste from landfills.
• Eliminate 248 pounds of greenhouse gas.

* Based on comparing number of uses as set forth on product labels of conventional, ready-to-use cleaners.

My Spring Cleaning

It is Spring Cleaning time in my household and while it is tough work getting everything in order I have some of the most amazing products to help me out this year! Shaklee’s Get Clean® Kit offers me the chance to not only get everything all sparkling clean but save a ton of money in the process and as if that weren’t enough I also am making sure my home and my planet are safe.

I for one am all for making my world, my children and grandchildren’s world a better place. Starting with this kit I feel like I am doing something to help make that a possibility. I have been using these products for two weeks now and I can tell you that they work as well, if not better, than the other cleaning supplies I had in my home. I say had, because as soon as I saw the results of cleaning and doing laundry with the Get Clean® products I tossed out all my others, recycling of course as I did so. I am very pleased with the Get Clean® Kit and HIGHLY recommend it to everyone who cleans and wants to make a difference in the world around them!

I have been given the opportunity to host a giveaway where one lucky Dirty t Shirt reader can get their house in shape with Spring Cleaning using the Shaklee Get Clean® Starter Kit. Please see rules below to enter to win today!

The Shaklee Corporation provided me with one free Get Clean® Kit to review; my opinions and experiences are my own.

Rules

Offical Rules for this giveaway can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Company: NewAir
Item Reviewed: AC-12000E Portable Air Conditioner

Portable and convenient, the NewAir AC-12000E cooling unit is built with 12,000 BTUs and covers up to 425 square feet. The AC-12000E air conditioner is environmentally friendly and designed with an auto-evaporative feature. The NewAir AC-12000E air conditioner is highly reputable and rated as one of the top portable air conditioning units.

Key Features of the AC-12000E:

• Environmentally friendly and lower energy used
• Auto-evaporative technology improves cooling efficiency
• Compact and convenient to use in multiple rooms
• Rated as one of the top selling portable air conditioners
• Includes a remote control
• 24-hour programmable timer and automatic defrost

Being in an apartment complex we have to depend on the maintenance crew to keep things running smoothly. Shortly after moving in our air conditioner stopped working, in the middle of a Florida summer and we were miserable while they tried to figure out what was wrong. They gave us a portable air conditioner to use in the meantime  but it was old and didn’t cool off the whole place so we converged on the kitchen where we could feel the coolness the most. Now we do not need to depend on that old machine when the air conditioner has an issue again. With our NewAir AC-12000E Portable Air Conditioner unit we can take care of ourselves and keep us cool during the hot months in Florida.

We love that it is the portability, we can use it in any room of the place and it is quieter than some of the others I have used in the past. The timer is awesome and allows us to put turn it off when we need to and it comes with a remote control as well, which has gotten lost twice in our collection of remotes. The unit is compact and fits right into the window with ease. The less energy usage is a big deal to us as we try to be more environment conscious.

So this summer as our air conditioning unit struggles to keep up with the Florida heat we won’t be worrying about if and when the air conditioner will go out because we have our NewAir AC-12000E Portable Air Conditioning Unit on hand to keep us cool. I highly recommend everyone going over to the NewAir website and check out this product today! It is a really good thing to have on hand and has completely wiped out the worry about our air unit here going out.

Item Reviewed: Famega Rosé and Arinto wines

Whether it be used to complement her favorite dish, share with a group of friends, or simply to relax on the couch after a long day, a wine from Portugal is a distinctive and decadent gift that will encourage the relaxation every mother deserves.

Caves da Cerca Famega Rosé, is an interesting blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franc and Tinta Nacional. The wine is a fresh and youthful wine that will surely make any mother feel the same. SRP $7

Quinta de Romeira Arinto 2011 is a white wine with fresh acidity and powerful aromatic taste and intensity. The perfect white wine from an interesting variety she’s probably never tried before. SRP $10

My family knows how much I like wine and these two wines would make a great Mother’s Day gift for me or any mom who likes wine. The Rosé wine, a type of wine I have just recently started drinking, was the perfect wine to have after a dessert party I went to. It was light, and fruity to me, something I love. The Arinto I opened when we had a chicken meal and the tastes blended perfectly with the flavors from the chicken dish. Both of these wines are great additions to my wine rack (I would say collection, but mine is very small) and I highly recommend them to everyone. Don’t forget to remember mom this Mother’s Day.

Company: Hasbro
Item Reviewed: PLAY-DOH Disney Princess Rapunzel Hair Designs Playset

Help Rapunzel let down her hair with the RAPUNZEL HAIR DESIGNS playset! Load the PLAY-DOH compound and crank out Rapunzel’s long locks! Girls can use a characterized comb to create a cool crimp or twist up a braid with the roller featuring the princess’s best friend Pascal. Use the amazing sparkle PLAY-DOH compound to make her hair really shine! Includes three different accessories, one large PLAY-DOH can and two standard cans of sparkle color. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

With Rapunzel being my little girls favorite Disney princess I was excited to surprise her with the
RAPUNZEL HAIR DESIGNS playset. She immediately unpacked it and started playing with the different hair styles, giggling as the PLAY-DOH came out the top of her head. She also got creative with making a necklace with little jewels on it to make her look like the perfect princess. She spent a lot of time making sure her Rapunzel looked beautiful and I enjoyed seeing her enjoying her new toy.