Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway Win Kindle Fire and 16 GB Apple iPad2 by Naming the Smiley Mascot

Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway!!

Rafflecopter is such an amazing and easy to use Giveaway site and I am in LOVE with it. And I think most of my readers, fan and Giveaway folks agree.

Did you know Rafflecopter wants to help many celebrate the new year in style....

Rafflecopter is going to give away a 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires.

The giveaway starts Monday 1/9 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts for a month.

To enter, simply tell us who referred you to this giveaway! ***Fishful Thinking Blog***

You can receive additional entries by tweeting about this giveaway, following Rafflecopter on twitter, and giving Rafflecopter feedback. In addition, Rafflecopter doing something a little special to make things more fun:

Suggest a Mascot Name – You’ve seen the Rafflecopter smiley-face dude hanging around the web. The poor guy needs a name, and Rafflecopter want to leave it up to you to decide what his (or her?) name should be. For an additional entry, suggest a name!

After the giveaway is over, we’ll go through the list of names and pick out our favorite suggestions (be creative!) and bring it to a vote on Facebook. If your name is chosen, you’ll win a Kindle Fire and be immortalized in Rafflecopter history :)

Good Luck Everyone and Don't forget to tell Rafflecopter that Fishful Thinking Blog sent you!!

Corkcicle Giveaway / Review $107.70 Total Value! Keep your win chilled perfectly.

Introducing and Giving Away 3 Amazing Wine Products.....

the......Corkcicle

I know I am I not an official wine tester, but some days I feel like I could earn that title.  I enjoy a lot of lighter colored chilled wines.  I love sipping on a glass or two to relax and wind down for the evening occasionally.

The problem I have encountered time and time again is....the bottle of wine warms up before I have my next glass.  I notice a huge difference in flavors of the exact same wine, as it warms.  I prefer it nice a chilled.  I guess you could call me lazy, I don't like to get out a bucket of ice to keep a bottle of wine chilled.  It is messy and the bottle and bucket sweats and drips all over the place.

I was excited to have seen a ad on the side of Facebook the other day.  It was an ad for....

Corkcicle

I knew I had to try this amazing and useful invention...so I contacted Corkcicle and the rest in history.  They sent me out a Corkcicle to review and have offered to giveaway to three people...their own Corkcicle!  The Corkcicle normally sells for $29.95 with approximate shipping of $5.95.  Currently on the Corkcicle site you can purchase your own for $24.95.

Once Corkcicle is washed, place it in your freezer for approximately 2 hours.

You are then ready to pour your first glass of wine...place the already frozen Corkcicle right in the bottle.  Corkcicle chills the wine from the inside.  When you are finished with using the Corkcicle, wash it and place it back in the freezer until you need it again.  Perfectly chilled wine...all the time.

Corkcicle truly works and it is a great conversation piece as it is like a work of art when placed into a wine bottle. 

Do you want to win your own Corkcicle?  Enter below for your chance to win 1 of 3 that are being given away (which ends 1-21-12 at 12:01am EST.

Thank you Corkcicle....on Facebook.....and Twitter.

Sign up and Join $100 Amazon Twitter Blast Event

Event: $100 Amazon Twitter Blast

Active Event, Sign Up Ends January

Attention Bloggers!

If you are looking to grow your Twitter following – sign up for Twitter Blast, hosted by Jen of Makobi Scribe. Last month’s Twitter Blast was a huge success.
What is a Twitter Blast? You the blogger can join for $1 with one account – Twitter. The prize will be provided: $100 Amazon code.

What do you need to do to join?

• Post about the event with the button. (Right click save the image)
• Fill out this form. Sign ups close Jan 14th at 9 AM EST.
• Post the Rafflecopter on your blog and your Facebook page for the event. You can get it here.
• Schedule the giveaway post to go live on Jan 15 11:59 PM EST to Feb 1 12:01
• You can post on every blog you have, one post per twitter account.
• Jen will email you on the 14th to remind you.

Hosted by: Makobi Scribe
Event Dates: 1/15/12 to 2/1/12
Cost: $1 for one Twitter account
Group Prize or Your Own Prize: Group Prize
Last Day to Sign-Up: 01/13/12

> Join this event <

Zeiss Lenses and Free Educational Tools to help with your vision health

Eye glasses are a way of life around our household.  Three out of five of us currently wear glasses.

I love learning about eye health and applying that information to get the most out of our frequent eye visits.

Are you an eyeglass wearer?  Do you want to better understand our vision correction needs?  Do you want to ensure you get the most out of your next eye exam?  Do you want to receive the best lenses to regain sharp vision?

Zeiss lenses cares about everyones Vision Health and wanted to make sure we are given the opportunity to understand four important topics about our vision and lens (Zeiss Educational Tools).  *Did you know, having the right lenses is critical to seeing and experiencing life to the fullest.*

#1 Facts to know about Vision and lenses... I few things I learned...
 Adults should have eye exams: Every two years, even with no vision issues and annually starting at age 40 as your eyes start to experience natural age-related vision changes.

#2 Tips for selecting an eye doctor...Did you know...
Ideal vision can only be achieved if the lenses are customized for the way you wear them. Many eye doctors use i.Terminal® by ZEISS to measure the distance of the lenses from your eyes, and the tilt and wrap of the frame as you wear it. These measurements are taken with an accuracy of 1/10^th of a millimeter, and are incorporated into the design of your lenses.

#3 Questions to ask at your next eye appointment....Guess What....
Don't forget to ask, "What is a “coating” and what does it do?" and find out more of the important questions to ask by clicking #3.

#4 Facts to know about age-related vision changes....Did you know...
Age-related eye problems such as cataracts can develop slowly and you may be unaware that your vision is declining.

These are only a few of the bulletins included in this informative Free Educational Tools from Zeiss.

Have you never heard of Zeiss before?  Carl Zeiss Vision is a global leader in precision optics.  They offer a full line of advanced customized lenses, advanced performance coatings, i.Scription by ZEISS diagnostic technology and a national laboratory network, Carl Zeiss Vision is dedicated to creating a better visual experience for patients and greater success for eye care practices.

Carl Zeiss Vision understands the importance of talking individuality into account when rendering consulting and diagnostic services to people who wear glasses and of course when producing lenses for them. 

A Clinical Study conducted by UC Berkeley's School of Optometry concluded...
Consumers prefer customized Zeiss Individual lenses over conventional progressive lenses.
Wears of Zeiss Individual progressives were able to adapt faster to new lenses.
Wearers of Zeiss Individual progressives reported a wider near vision zone.

Thank you Zeiss for caring and educated us all.

 This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zeiss. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips Review Gluten Free Snacking

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to review an amazing gift basket from Good Health Baskets.  One of the Gluten Free products included was Amazing and Fun Tortilla Chips called...

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips

Our family was so delighted by the taste and uniqueness I reached out to Whale Tails and much to our surprise Whale Tails Chips sent us out an amazing box of assorted Whale Tails Chips to review!

Did you know ALL Whale Tails are made with Organic Corn grown in the USA...

They are Naturally Gluten Free

Non GMO

Zero Trans Fat

And Kosher

I am going to first share our thoughts and opinions about the three different varieties of Whale Tails....

Then I will cover some amazing details about Whale Tails and how much they care for our environment!

Our absolute favorite (and I say "our", because I had to fight all three of my boys for a taste or two) is the Hawaiian Barbeque Whale Tails.  Each Whale Tail shaped Chip is covered in such a savory, yet sweet Barbeque flavor.  The seasoning is perfect and still the Chip remains nice and crisp.  It is like no barbeque chip I have ever had before (I wish they would bottle the barbeque flavor). 

Whale Tails Chips created this island barbeque flavor by including a trace of tropical sun-ripened mango ...and a splash of lime to create just the right amount f zest.

The Original Flavor Yellow Organic Corn with "Alaea" Red Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salt Whale Tails Chip are the perfect Tortilla Chip for dipping.  They hold up very well and the saltiness intensify whatever your are dipping them into. 

I was surprised to find out Alaea is unique to the Hawaiian Islands and is legendary for being low in sodium content, 3% to be exact and high in essential trace minerals that our bodies need.  Alaea is sun dried and never processed.

Organic Blue Corn infused with Chia Whale Tales Chips left me craving more.  Whale Tales are not like your average Blue Corn Chip.  They are so earthy and nutty and addicting.  Blue "Torchia" chips takes healthy snacking to a different level.  The Organic Blue Corn is infused with ancient Mayan super seed Chia which adds a healthy punch.  Chia contains higher amounts of omega-3 than any other vegetarian source, all essential amino acids and FIVE times more calcium than milk!

Whale Tails are available on store shelves and other locations...find out where to purchase your own today HERE.  Or you can purchase them direct from Whale Tails online.

The Whale Tails Tortilla Chips team is so caring and smart.  They realized virtually every piece of plastic ever invented(unless incinerated) still exists!  This thought inspired Whale Tails Chips to find a biodegradable plastic that really worked so you and I could buy fresh Whale Tails Chips with no preservatives in a bag guaranteed to break down in a landfill leaving NO trace of plastic behind.

Whale Tails Chips did it!!  Wow, what an amazing company!  After 3 years Whale Tails Chips are packaged in a commercially viable film (TekPak of Canada creates Whale Tails Chips bags) that meets their distributors and vendors demands for price and shelf life. The film is 69% degradable in a municipal landfill that is void of heat, pressure, light, and oxygen.

That is not the only earth friendly accomplishment of Whale Tails Chips!  Whale Tails Tortilla Chips are very proud to have partnered with Wyland Foundation.  As a result of this partnership one of Wyland’s famous seascapes will be featured on each of the three flavors of Whale Tails: the newly released Hawaiian barbecue will feature “Dawn of Creation,” the new blue corn flavor will feature “Orca Journey” and the original yellow corn will feature “Hawaii Endangered Species.

But it is not just about the art work on the Whale Tails Chip bags...Both Whale Tails and Wyland have always held fast to their goals of, as the Wyland foundation mission statement describes it: “promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life.”

They first Wyland-Whale Tails Tortilla Chip products arrived in stores June 2011.  Along with the new flavors and new bags, public events have helps spread Whale Tails Tortilla Chips's philosophy for giving back to sea life in a different why.

Connect with Whale Tails Chips via Facebook, Twitter or on their website.

Congrats Whale Tails Chips for creating an amazing food product with out sacrificing our delicate environment!!

Baconery $33 Pig Cutting Board Giveaway / Baconery Sample Pack Review

"A Little Sweet. A little Salty. The perfect combination."

Baconery

I was giddy when I found Baconery.com! 

Who would have thought to combine the world's best Breakfast Meat with Bakery Ingredients?

Well I can tell you....a genius by the name of Wesley Klein.  One day while he was eating breakfast he used his thick-cut bacon to sop up the last drops of maple syrup on his plate and there is where it all begin.  The marriage of Sweet and Savory.

For months Wesley slaved in his kitchen with breakfast chefs, pasty chefs and others until they mastered the exact formula for infusing bacon into delicious, mind blowing sweet treats.  So the business of the Baconery began.

The boys are I were thrilled to find out Baconery was going to send us their Baconery Sample Pack to sample and review.....

and along with the review Baconery has offered to give one lucky person their famous Baconery Pig Cutting Board a $33 Value!!!

Where should I begin with the culinary experience....well, the Baconary Sample Pack included... (and of course my own opinions are included with the descriptions)

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods rolled in delicious Bacon Pieces..Salty, Sweet, Bacony goodness in each and every bite!  The boys couldn't get enough of these.

Marshmallow Bars with pieces of amazing Bacon Mixed throughout with a Chocolate Drizzle over the top.  It didn't think it was possible to bring a Krispy Treat to the next level...I was wrong!  Thank you Baconery!

Moist and Fudgy Brownies with Bacon tucked inside.  These brownies are way off the moist scale in a good way with the bacon bite size pieces waiting to tease your taste buds.

A moist Chocolate Peanut Butter Bacon Cookie with Peanut Butter Candies and Bacon pieces inside.  Works and Tastes of Art! 

Chocolate Bacon Cookie (like a Chocolate Chip Cookie with a Bacon Twist).  These cookies look so sweet and innocent, until you take a bite and another and another.

And the Best Thing of All...CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRIPS OF THICK BACON!!!  Words can not describe this spiritual experience!

I think one of the things I love most about Baconery is they are not bacon flavored...they each contain REAL PIECES of HIGH QUALITY BACON!


Okay!  Trust me you don't want to miss all the great items Baconery continue to create and the amazing sales..so sign up for their newsletter (bottom of the page) today and it also counts as an entry into winning the Pig Cutting Board! Or just dive in and order some today!

Enter to win below.  Good Luck and Bacon Dreams.

Purex Triple Action Free and Clear Laundry Detergent Review

Pure Clean...Pure Value...Purex

More Exciting News to Report from Purex!!

As a Purex Insider, I had the opportunity to receive a free bottle of their Newest Laundry Detergent ....

Purex Triple Action Free and Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent

to sample and review!  And guess what?  I honestly LOVE IT!  It works amazing and does not bother my young son's skin (he has asthma and skin allergies).  I really notice the difference in my finished laundry...it is so bright and white and definitely clean.  Thank you Purex!  I have ready purchased another bottle at the store.

And if you are luckier than I and have a High Efficiency (HE) Washer, it will work with those types too.

Did you know beginning very soon on FreeSamplePurex.com you will get a chance, thanks to Purex to enjoy your own FREE Sample of Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent...

PLUS....

I will be holding a GIVEAWAY for my Bloggy Friends Very soon, so you can enjoy your own bottle of Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent!!!

Did you know over the past year R&D scientists have been working hard to create an even better Purex formula. And not just a better formulas, but one that would continue to deliver the value that Purex stands for.  As Purex is mindful of our pocketbooks and are committed to bringing a great product with a great value to store shelves.  So now they have perfected Purex Triple Action Formula...and even better clean for 1/2 the price of leading brands!!

And if you are not interested in Free and Clear and enjoy scented laundry Detergent Purex also offers Triple Action in Mountain Breeze.

You can connect with Purex via Facebook....Twitter.....or their webpage.

**Purex provided a free sample of their Triple Action laundry detergent so I could write a review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.**

Soon to be Released Purex UltraPacks Free and Clear or Mountain Breeze Laundry Detergent

I LOVE being a Purex Insider!

As an Insider I have the opportunity to learn and sample NEW Purex products before they are
debuted in stores.

Just a week ago I was provided the most convenient and effect way to wash your laundry....

Purex Ultrapacks (Liquid Laundry Detergent)

The only complication is the Official Launch of these Purex Ultrapacks is not until February 2012!  So that means once I run out, I have to be patient and wait....as I LOVE my Purex Ultrapacks Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent.  They provide the same excellent powerful cleaning Purex (actually 2x the concentrated liquid detergent in each small pack).

Here is a little more information about the NEW Purex Ultrapacks...

They are convenient pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever!

Purex UltraPacks manage to squeeze all the performance of their New Triple Action Liquid Formula into just one powerful pack.

No more mess!!!  No more spills!!!  No more heavy jugs!!!! 

It's Laundry Simplified!!!!!

Ultrapacks dissolve quickly once the washer is started *Even in Cold Water*

For Best Results:

Dry your hands first before  handling the UltraPack as water dissolves the pack.

Put 1 pack in the washer before adding clothing and for larger or heavily soiled loads, use an additional pack.

If you  have a front loader machine, make sure to put the pack directly into the drum...not the drawer.

Purex Ultrapacks will be available in Mountain Breeze and Free & Clear.

Beginning mid February 2012 at FreeSamplePurex.com you can get the opportunity to get your own FREE SAMPLE of Purest UltraPacks and shortly I will be hosting a GIVEAWAY here on my blog!!

You can connect with Purex via Facebook....Twitter.....or their webpage.

**Purex provided a free sample of their UltraPacks laundry detergent so I could write a review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.**

Columbus Cacciatore Seasonal Salame Review

I am such a HUGE Foodie!! I love watching anything food related. I have always been so jealous while watching programs that feature authentic Italian Salame. My mouth waters and my stomach rubbles imagining how great hand crafted Salame must taste.

Well thanks to the assistance of Columbus, my dreams became a reality over the Holidays!

Thank you Columbus for the amazing free samples of your Authentic Seasonal Cacciatore Truffle and Porcini to review.

I felt like Christmas came early the day my package arrived! I couldn't wait to cut off a delicious slice and try it out.

These Limited Edition Cacciatores are made with 100 percent hormone- and antibiotic-free pork, coarsely ground, and feature imported Italian white truffles and porcini mushrooms for a robust, savory flavor.

Every year, Columbus crafts these varieties in limited quantities - available exclusively in November and December at select retailers.


I felt like I should be sitting around a large table with a white table cloth and red napkins, sipping on a glass of dry red wine. Columbus Cacciatore was a flavorful experience. I could see the handcrafted love put into each of these small Salames. They were both unique in shape and smelled so earthy and delightful.

I think my favorite was the Truffle Cacciatore.  It was so earthy with a wonderful firm texture.  I enjoyed letting it dry out slightly so I could shave thin sliced off over a steaming bowl of fresh pasta with a little fresh Romano cheese.  It was a bowl of heaven.

The Porcini Mushroom Cacciatore was balanced perfectly with the earthy mushrooms and savory pork.   Like our other Cacciatore, it is made with fresh pork, ground coarse and stuffed in an imported, delicate, natural casing. Indulge in the rich flavors of this salame with red wine and cheese.

My only complaint was I finished both of the Cacciatore way too quick!

A Little History of Columbus:

"Inspired in Italy. Founded in San Francisco."

The founders arrived from Italy in 1917, and brought a bit of Italy with them. With authentic Italian recipes in hand and mastery of salame-making in practice, they began crafting and selling their Old World artisan salame in San Francisco, California, long before “artisan” was known as such.

Today, Columbus is one of the most respected producers of fine foods in the country. In addition to authentic, 100% pork salame, they manufacture premium-quality deli meats made with the finest whole cuts of turkey, ham, beef, and chicken. You really can taste tradition in every bite.

You can learn more about Columbus on their easy to navigate website.

Find out where to purchase the large line of Columbus Products.

Connect via Facebook.

Sign up for the Columbus Newsletter so you don't miss out on any great deals!

OXO Good Cookie Spatula Giveaway Support Cookies for Kids' Cancer

As a Cervical Cancer Survivor (Cancer Free for 3 years!!!) and an avid baker I love to find great causes to be part of an support.

I while back I heard about an amazing cause called....

Cookies for Kids' Cancer

I love to see how this mission as spread to include amazing companies that have a passion to make a difference.

First of all a little history on Cookies for Kids' Cancer...

The founders were two OXOnians (OXO employees)..Gretchen and Larry Witt.  They were inspired by their son Liam's battle with pediatric cancer.  The Witt's were shocked to learn over 25% of children diagnosed with cancer do not survive their tough battle because of lack of effective therapies.  And the lack of effective therapies was because of lack of funding.

Thus...Cookies for Kids' Cancer was born to fill this void and provided inspiration and support for individuals, communities and businesses to help fight pediatric cancer through the concept of local bake sales.  Believe this...OXOnians have helped raiser over $150,000 to support Coolies for Kids' Cancer. (Can you hear my cheers thought the computer??)

This year OXO will donate up to $100,000 to support research for new and improved therapies.

You can help in OXO's mission with one simple purchase of a Limited Edition Cookie Spatula by OXO.  As 50% of all profits from the sales will benefit pediatric cancer awareness, up to $100,000!!!

You can purchase your OXO Limited Edition Cookie Spatula at your nearest Bed Bath & Beyond, online at amazon.com, or use the store locator to find a local retailer.

One Lucky Bloggy Friend is going to win their own OXO Limited Edition Cookie Spatula....Thanks to OXO as I am part of their Blogger Outreach Program.  OXO sent me out two of their "Good Cookie" spatulas...one to enjoy myself and one to giveaway!!

Good Cookie spatulas are:

Ideal size for lifting cookies from a crowded sheet

Rounded corner is great for scraping sticky dough out of spoons

Angled handle keeps hands safely away from food

Heat resistant to 600-Degree

Safe for nonstick cookware and bakeware

I love my Good Cookie spatula.  It has held up very well to many batches of cookies I have made!  I love how flexible the spatula is.

Enter for you chance to win today!!