hollywood housewife

kindle paperwhite {giveway} for mother's day!

A few weeks ago I had what I called a "logistical reading crisis." And you guys shared how you read and it was so helpful to me. While I wasn't super excited to buy another gadget, I had recently seen two people with kindles and I thought they would be nice for reading on the go.

After weighing in all your great advice, I finally went with the kindle paperwhite. I read two books on it right away (Where'd You Go Bernadette and Her Last Death) as a test. Here are my thoughts:

• It's the perfect size and super light, so it can go in even my smallest purse.

• I definitely read more on it than I was previously, so that's the biggest bonus for me.

Strangely, this appeared to be mostly mental and not, in fact, logistical. It's not like I read on the paperwhite in the grocery store line (although I could have). But for some reason the device made me want to read a few pages here and there when I wouldn't have picked up a physical book or the iPad. Good brainwashing design, amazon!

Now, it isn't perfect. A few cons:

• I thought I would have no problem with the black-and-whiteness of it, but it did sort of bug me. Not when I was reading, for reading the book that part was great. But on the home screen when I was buying or browsing titles to buy, I found it disconcerting that the images I was so used to seeing in color were so flat-looking.

• The touch screen was a little finicky. Possibly it's because the screen was small and my fingers are used to the iPhone. But sometimes it took several tries for me to get the button pushed right. And I had real trouble highlighting.

But neither of these things could touch the fact that I was reading more, and that's the goal. So despite the fact that it wasn't flawless, the paperwhite was pretty great. Some things I loved:

Reading at night was so pleasant. You could read on it for hours and it doesn't hurt your eyes. This is a huge bonus for me.

If you press the top of the screen, it will tell you - based on your current reading speed - how many minutes you have left in the chapter AND in the book. I don't know why it was so nice to know I had 2 hours until I finished the book, but it was. Time management, you know.

So all in all, I'm recommending the kindle paperwhite for those who want to read more on-the-go. And, lucky for us, it's on sale for $99. And, lucky for YOU, I want one of my readers to have a reader.

It's the perfect Mother's Day present! For yourself or for a mother in your life.

You have until Friday, May 3, at 11:59pm to enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter widget below. To enter you can leave a blog comment or like the HH facebook page, or both! US & Canada only. Sponsored by Hollywood Housewife.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a virtual dinner party to celebrate bread & wine by shauna niequist

If you've been cruising the virtual dinner party to celebrate the release of Shauna Niequist's new book, welcome! Imagine that I'm the one slipping Bread & Wine into your bag on the way out. If I'm your first stop, you might want to start with the bacon-wrapped date appetizers at Dear Abby Leigh and then just keep on going.

You can visit all of the "courses" listed. We want to have you at our virtual table! Whatever you do, make sure you enter the giveaway HERE for one of five copies of Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine.

be sure to taste each course of our virtually progressive dinner party.

  blog-hop to a new table for every course, meet new friends and pick up a delicious recipe from shauna niequist's new book, bread and wine: a love letter to life around the table with recipes at every stop. we'd like to send you home with the gift of shauna's words, so be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the party!    

• Bacon-Wrapped Dates at DearAbbyLeigh.com
• Sullivan Street Bread at LeighKramer.com
• The Green Well's Michigan Harvest Salad at theBlahBlahBlahger.com
• Annette's Enchiladas at SarahBessey.com
• Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse at LoveFeastTable.com
• A Bread & Wine Giveaway at HollywoodHousewife.com

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Oh, how I have been waiting and waiting to tell you about my dear friend Shauna Niequist's latest book Bread and Wine. It is divine. It is her best work yet. It is for women and men and cooks and take-out-orderers.

Shauna is my hero. In some of the very hardest parts of my life, she has been a voice I have turned to both in person and on the page. We are not far apart in age, but she is always ahead of me in life. She was a wife, mom, and writer before me. It's somewhat safe to say I hang on her every word.

Is now a good time to mention that I make an appearance in Bread & Wine? No? Okay, I'll keep going.

I loved Shauna's first two books Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet, but when I read Bread & Wine a few months ago, I knew by the first few pages that it was a whole different thing. Shauna is a foodie, and a friend gatherer, and it's crystal clear to me that she should have married all of these things in her writing ages ago. Because this book feels effortless, it feels like she was writing in all the ways that she was meant to write. I just ate it up.

Bread & Wine is a unique book because it's personal essays with recipes. It's most definitely not a cookbook, even though I wanted to make every recipe in it. It's more than personal memoir, because it seemed I could relate to every chapter, even the ones that I shouldn't have been able to relate to.

I want you to read it. I want you to have it.

Leave a comment on this post using the widget below to enter the giveaway. Five winners will receive a copy of Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist. Giveaway ends Thursday, April 11 at 11:59pm. US & Canada only.

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minted stationery {giveaway}

Minted is one of my favorite destinations online for paper products. And oh, how I love paper products. I have various types of stationery and cards from Minted. We even did our Christmas cards through Minted this year and they were gorgeous and original.

What I like about Minted is that their quality surpasses all expecations for an online paperie. Generally, I like to touch products before I purchase them, but I also know that with Minted they'll be nice. They also have fantastic customer service and a cool presentation of their products when they're delivered. All of that adds up to a great experience.

tog + porter special offer for HH readers!

Last week's Tog + Porter giveaway to the online personal stylist site was such a success that the company is offering a special deal just for HH readers!

If you register with Tog + Porter this week, HH readers with get a $25 gift credit with their $250 minimum box order. 

Remember, Tog + Porter doesn't charge for their consultation process.  You skype with a stylist, tell them your favorite looks or specific clothing desires, then they send you a box of awesome items.  You keep what you want, you return what you don't.  It's easy and convenient for the women with no time or inclination to shop.

Use code HH2013 at sign up to receive $25 towards your $250 purchase.  You have until midnight on Friday, January 25 to register with Tog + Porter for this offer. 

If you were thinking about doing this, now's the time!

tog + porter stylist session and $250 gift {giveaway}

**This giveaway is now closed, but there's a special offer for HH readers from Tog + Porter here**

Tog + Porter is an online stylist service that helps busy people look their best.  I wrote all about my experience with Tog + Porter here.

I think it's such a great service for busy women who truly don't have time to shop or for women who would like to learn to shop better.  The best part...drumroll please...it's FREE.

rodan + fields skincare regimen {giveaway}!

**A special page all about this giveaway can be found here.**

Last year skin care became a real priority for me.  I've never had perfect skin, but with babies and aging, I really felt like it was making a difference in my appearance.  So I've slowly starting breaking bad skin habits and creating new good ones.

lisa leonard gold {giveaway}!

I have a Lisa Leonard necklace from years ago that I wear often and that always gets compliments.  It’s a family crest (a similar, smaller version can be found here) that has important initials engraved.  It is so special to me.

So I’ve been a Lisa Leonard fan for awhile now.  I think her hand made designs and meaningful and well-done.  And bonus: she just launched a gold line!  I swoon for gold.  It makes my heart beat faster.

I’m excited to give away not one but TWO things from Lisa Leonard designs.  The first piece I picked out for myself (and for you!) is this gold tiny twig necklace.  I like how it’s delicate in design, but large enough to make a statement.  And of course, I like that it’s gold. If you win this, we'll be twinsies!

The second thing I have for you is a $50 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard online, so you can pick out your own piece. 

Here’s how you enter:

• You must visit Lisa Leonard and browse around her online store for a bit.  Then come back and tell me in the rafflecopter form.  This is your required entry.
• You can also sign up for her newsletter, like the LL facebook page, like the HH facebook page, or tweet about this giveaway for bonus entries. 
• The first winner chosen by Random.Org will decide between the twig necklace and the gift certificate.  The second winner will get the other item. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

All are eligible.  You have until midnight on Friday, November 16 to enter.  Giveaway is courtesy of Lisa Leonard Designs.

So you’re really a Lisa Leonard fan?  I’m also giving away a gift certificate to one lucky participant in the my One Day project happening on Wednesday.  You can read details on that project here. 

Good luck!

velvet pumpkin {giveaway} from lovefeast table

I'm not a big seasonal decorator.  I blame it on the fact that my zip code doesn't experience seasons.

Still, I've been coveting these gorgeous velvet pumpkins from the LoveFeast shop for well over a year.  Last fall I hemmed and hawed and then vowed that I wouldn't wait if they were available again.  And now here they are, in their shop and on my table!

clarisonic mia 2 {giveaway}!

I've been so crazed lately, flying here, there, and everywhere.  I don't even know what time zone I'm in anymore.

What I DO know is that my skin looks better than it has since I entered my baby-making years.  I know that it's a combination of things (namely that I started taking care of it all), but the thing I've sworn by the most, the thing I've told everyone within earshot about, is my Clarisonic Mia 2 Skin Cleaning System.

I use it almost daily in the shower.  It has changed the texture of my face.  It is my single favorite beauty product of 2012.

I want you to have one.  

My jet-lagged self is giving away one Clarisonic Mia 2 in Mango (a fun, orange-y fall color).  The set includes the Mia 2, universal charger, sensitive brush head, trial-size cleanser, and travel case.

I'm trying a new way for giveaways this time.  Using rafflecopter below, you get one entry by leaving a blog comment, one entry for "liking" the HH facebook page, and one entry for subscribing to HH through a reader.  If you do all of these things, you get three entries!  (If you're already a subscriber or facebook fan, please click those as entries.  I don't want to leave anyone out.)

You have until Friday, September 21 at 11:59pm EST to enter. 

Rafflecopter will make it so much easier for you to enter and for me to choose a winner.  I will notify the winner over the weekend and they will have 48 hours to claim it.  While I fully purchased my own Mia 2 for personal use, Clarisonic provided the prize for this giveaway.

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

world vision sri lanka bloggers {giveaway}

(This giveaway is now closed.)

We will depart America for Sri Lanka one week from today.  A group of bloggers walking their readers through a journey so beyond our normal days.  This is so different from anything I've done here at HH (or in my life), and this is exciting and terrifiying.