New Amazon Giveaway!

Do you need some Amazon cash? I came across this giveaway from smpl and thought I would share with you guys. Check it out here!

The Dirt on The Dirt: A Review

In 1990, I was doing three things: being 10, playing Nintendo, and listening to the Dr. Feelgood tape over and over again until my pretty pink cassette player revolted and fried itself out forever. Motley Crue’s lyrics were overtly suggestive, the videos were blatant propaganda for booze, drugs, and sex, and they wore silly costumes and freaky make-up. They. Were. The. Shit.

The shit.

 

Upon first hearing about this movie, I was unexcited to say the least. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Motley Crue and I didn’t want to see some biopic with bad actors spewing watered-down lines about how life on the road is tough and drugs ease your pain…man.

Oh God, I was wrong. “The Dirt” movie is based on the autobiography collectively written by each member of the Crue. It was released in 2001 and as I understand, has been in movie talks since 2006. I regret never picking up this book, but as I said, I was sure I knew everything there is to know from the Behind the Musics, and other pseudo-documentaries about either the band or one of its original members. (I admit, I don’t know much about Vince Neil replacement John Corabi except how to pronounce his name. The movie didn’t seem to care too much about him either).

The story begins with the horrendous childhood of Nikki Sixx (Douglas Booth) and lays the groundwork for his future addiction. Next we meet teenager Tommy Lee (Colson Baker) in a nice home having a sibling spat with his sister and chatting with his dad about his new girlfriend. This is a way more functional household than Nikki’s. Next is Mick Mars (Iwan Rheon aka Ramsay Bolton from GOT y’all!) who was given an audition because of a newspaper ad he placed pronouncing himself as “a loud, rude and aggressive guitar player”. We don’t know much about his home life, but that just keeps him nice and mysterious. Lastly, we meet Vince Neil (Daniel Webber) singing cover songs at a backyard party and already enjoying the perks of being lead singer of a band.

First of all, the actors who played the band all nailed it and nailed it hard (hey – get your mind out of the gutter!) Tommy Lee was sweet, charming and completely out of control all at the same time. Mick Mars, the elder of the group, was the sage providing sound advice and dry wit. Nikki Sixx is a smoldering hot rock star on the outside, but just under the surface, a growing dependency on heroin is killing him on the inside. And Vince Neil, having sexual relations with anything that moves, is your typical carefree, narcissistic punk. He’s hardly lovable at first, but believable and fun to watch. His story has always been the most heartbreaking in my opinion. For all of the terrible decisions he made in his life, especially one that took a life, I was in tears watching his lowest point play out on screen.

I think die-hard fans of Crue’s music are going to wish this were an epic 4-hour movie that included more back story on their earlier hit songs/albums and delved deeper into each one’s personal life. But it’s not. At only 1 hour 40 minutes, it hits most of the highlights and lowlights of the band’s reign in the 80’s. It felt like the story was going a little too fast and some details got a little muddled, but in this particular case, I didn’t care. Basically it’s a whirlwind of girls, shows, drugs, strip clubs, more drugs, hanging out with Ozzy Osbourne, more girls, Tommy Lee marries Heather Locklear, more strip clubs, more drugs. You don’t care so much about fact checking, you’re just along for the ride, but far enough away where you’re safe from catching an STD.

I was enthralled with this movie from start to finish. The actors had their respective band member’s quirks and mannerisms (and haircuts!) down perfectly. At one point they recreated some of their old videos and everyone was spot-on with their portrayal. SNL’s Pete Davidson was a nice surprise and had a fun, geeky presence as an Elektra executive. For some people, it will be a nostalgic snapshot of a time when Motley Crue ruled the world. I am still a huge fan of their music, hell, I played “Kickstart My Heart” in the delivery room while I was gearing up to give birth to my child.

Bottom line: Go check out The Dirt on Netflix. It’s not messing around and tells a good story, with all the language, antics, and excesses you’d expect from a rock band fueled by drugs and alcohol. As an esteemed member of the Dirty Penguin Presents: Movies! podcast, I give this film “2 Flippers Up”!

Check out The Dirty Penguin Presents: Movies! for more in-depth breakdowns of such “classics” as Vanilla Sky, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Twilight, Showgirls and much more!

Facebook: @dirtypenguinpresents

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YouTube: TheDirtyPenguinPresents

A New Low for Texas Lawmakers

Today while driving back from lunch in my home state of Texas, my friend Julia and I nearly got into a car accident. Although accident is not the right word, because a man in a super-sized pickup truck affixed with deer decals and a weird-looking deer ornament under the license plate, aggressively and purposefully maneuvered his truck around our vehicle and towards the driver side door. Then sped up and drove away while we (in shock) are in the middle of the road just trying to move forward from the chaos. All of this because he became outrageously aggrieved when Julia did not slam on the accelerator as soon as the light turned green. In other words, he was slightly inconvenienced and used brute force and intimidation to get his point across.

Another story emerged today that, while it is not the exact same situation as the new friend I made at lunch, it is a form of using brute force and intimidation to scare women. I have included a link to a news story if you’d care to read it here.

If not, I did a short break down

• It is a proposed new Texas Law
• It most likely will not get passed
• Law states women who have an abortion must be met with eye-for-an-eye punishment, which would ultimately be the death penalty.
• In the eyes of the chief lawmaker – murder is murder and women need to be more responsible for their sex life
• Yea men too need to be responsible, but they don’t get pregnant so how am I supposed to fix that?

The following is simply my opinion on the right to choose: I could not imagine myself in a situation where I had to make such a hard choice and I’m glad I’ve never had to. I sympathize completely with the women that find themselves in such situations and I am proud that I was able to help care for a friend from many years ago who had made the tough choice. First, I think it’s wrong to shame just women for having sex. Would you ever see someone in a serious way shame Gene Simmons, Ted Nugent, or Steven Tyler? Yea, I didn’t think so. But really, I don’t care about their sex lives or anyone else’s. But for those who look to shame one side must treat the other side with equal discontent, otherwise it’s good old fashioned sexism. Second, since the Supreme Court decided that abortion is legal in all 50 states, it is morally and legally irresponsible for state lawmakers to pass asinine laws that limit the resources women have to correct medical information, general healthcare, and abortion clinics. The south is famous for this and Texas is just as guilty. Third, it is hypocritical to force a woman to carry a child full term if she recognizes herself as fiscally and emotionally irresponsible to care for another person. I say person not baby because the baby eventually grows up. I commend those who have the foresight to see that and know that. This is especially egregious knowing that our current administration is proposing substantial budget cuts to popular and much needed programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and other assistance programs.

Bottom line: I believe the mere proposition of this law is Texas State Legislature using its power to intimidate its female citizens. You want to put me on death row for having a medical procedure that is 100% legal in the eyes of the Supreme Court? (At least for now it is). I hope right-to-choose women and men will call this out for what it is. That the lawmakers backing this ridiculous piece of garbage do not care one ounce about the “children” but are in fact wielding their power over a women’s right to choose. They are saying very loudly that women are not smart enough to make a medical decision. That’s it. No more, no less.

 

Who Needs an extra $100? I do!

It’s only been recently that I’ve been really taking advantage of the wonders of Amazon. I received a gift card for my birthday last year and it sat in my credits for a while until I decided to give this whole Amazon thing a whirl. Without even being a Prime member, it’s a pretty cool deal. I love whittling down the search so much, it’s become an art form. And the fact that the minimum is $25 for free shipping on Amazon shipped products is better than most department stores. I’ve been really happy with the price, performance, and look of the clothes and shoes I’ve bought this year. My last purchase was a super cute, puppy shaped alarm clock for my daughter that teaches her how to tell if it’s still sleepy time or if it’s morning time.

Waking up is ruff!

As we speak, AmCraft Industrial Curtain Wall is running a sweepstakes for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Go here and check it out. You can’t win unless you play!

 

ACA Enrollment for 2018

The ACA Enrollment period is upon us for 2018. If you’re wondering if you should sign up, here are some questions to ponder:

1.) Does my job provide healthcare options? If no, comparing rates through the marketplace may find you just the right amount of coverage that’s perfect for your health status and age group.

2.) Will it be too expensive? You may qualify for tax credits or for Medicaid/Chip. Preview plans here

3.) What kind of coverage is offered? You will find plans that include preventative care, essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions.

Sign up period is between November 1 and December 15. There’s even more information (and a giveaway!!!) that you can find here.

 

 

 

Fitsnack October Giveaway!!

This Fall, Fit Snack, Buddhi Box, Chops Beef Jerky, YOGO, Made In Nature iKotton Organics and SheFit are partnering to bring us a HUGE Giveaway with over $600 in prizes.

3 month’s of Fit Snacks, 1 Month of Chops Snacks Jerky, 1 Deluxe Buddhi Box, iKotton Panty Pack & Camisoles Care Package,  2 YOGO Travel Mats, Shefit Ultimate Sports Bra – Perfect Lounge Bra – Laundry Bag – Shefit Phatband Headband, Made In Nature Nature 1 Month Snack Supply.

We will have one grand prize winner!

-> visit the contest page here and enter by 11/08/2017

• @FitSnack, enjoy a monthly box of healthy snacks, workouts, and workout music.  For a limited time, enjoy a discount here.
• @Buddhibox is a yogi care package filled with deluxe samples and full-size yoga products. Check them out here!
• @Chopssnacks All natural premium beef brisket paired with simple ingredients. Hand-crafted and slowly marinated overnight. Enjoy here!
• @yogoanywhere travel yoga gear that fits in your carry on! Check them out here!
• @iKottonorganics – Be comfy and confident in organic cotton. Enjoy undergarments that are kind to your skin and gentle on the planet here.
• @SheFitApparel – As seen on Season 7 of #SharkTank – the high impact sports bra that gives you YOUR bra YOUR way. Visit here!

If you love fitness, yoga, healthy eating, amazing undergarments and  then this is a perfect round up for you!

Giveaway & gift guide in one – this brand partnership comes at the perfect time as they all make great holiday gifts!!!

What’s So Great about Renfest? Everything!

When you live in Houston, by the month of August you are begging Mother Nature to do you a solid and lower the temperature from 120 to at least 100, maybe lower if she’s feeling generous. As the fall season approaches a few things happen, a renewed sense of hope that it won’t be blisteringly hot forever, we say goodbye to baseball, hello football (JJ Watt!) and the Texas Renaissance Festival once again graces us with its bold and lively presence.

The Renaissance Festival, or RenFest, is located about 50 miles Northwest of Houston in Todd Mission, TX. Expect bottlenecking on the roads the closer you get, the main route is not especially equipped to handle such huge amounts of traffic. But why should that change? It is only once a year where the city’s residents flock to this otherwise rural and quiet piece of land to have an experience of a lifetime. Once you enter the festival, it is very open and spread out. The crowd is dispersed and will leave you and your family plenty of room to explore.

Here’s where the fun begins. All of the costumed performers are in character all the time; whether you are purchasing meat-on-a-stick, playing festival games, bargaining with shop merchants or simply passing by one of the many performers that are walking around and mingling with guests. Can it get a little bawdy? Sure! Is it over the top? Absolutely! That’s what makes it so special. Plus, you have highly entertaining stage shows running round the clock, a petting zoo, elephant rides, food that any reasonably sane person would probably only indulge in once a year (call back to the meat-on-the-stick), beer, unique artisans, more beer, craft vendors, games and of course, so much more you almost want to go in with a blank slate just to be surprised. By the end the whole family will be speaking with an old timey English accent! Okay, that statement may not be appealing to everyone and, honestly, it’s not likely to happen. However, I highly recommend making the excursion to the Northwest Houston territory to check it out. Bring your family; bring out of town guests! I loved going as a child, then with friends as a teenager, and now as full-blown adult with kids of my own.

Check out their website for ticket information and a list of their themed weekends. I’ve got my sights set on the Barbarian Invasion weekend, but I’m just freaky like that. And bonus, on certain days, kids are free! Have fun! Let me know your favorite part of the Texas Renaissance Festival!

 

 

The Real Birth Day – 1 Year Ago

On July 14th, 2015 at 9pm, I walked into the hospital and told the lady at the desk that I had an appointment. For the week prior, I had known about this day. At this point, I had no labor pains and no real discomfort, other than the extra 40 pounds I was carrying. In the next 24 hours, I had no food, no drinks, no sleep, 2 epidurals and was hooked up to what felt like an assortment of different cords and cables. Helpful and necessary I’m sure, but they made it really hard to traipse around the room. Then on July 15th, exactly one day after we checked in, she was born. I learned a few things outside of the obvious while I was there.

1. Tell the doctors and nurses if you have a special condition, even if you don’t think it matters. For example, I have scoliosis and it caused me to have to endure a 2nd epidural because the first needle missed its mark. No one asked me so I never said anything, but, trust me, I wish I would have told someone in advance.
2. Getting induced is not an easy process. Look it up first and forget about being shy.
3. You’ll get asked a whole bunch of private questions, so if you have a partner you haven’t been honest with, send them off on an errand when the hospital staff tells you they have more questions. I didn’t have this problem, but just remember, there are no secrets in Laborville.

It has been one whole year since then and the family will be celebrating my daughter’s first birthday this weekend. I actually just signed up to win a much needed Babies R Us gift card at The Mommy Files in hopes of snagging her an extra special present. Check out this great giveaway before July 11, 2016!

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Girl!

 

 

I App-rove of these Money Saving Apps

I’m a coupon clipping, deal stacking, coin saving freak. My favorite way to save is via smartphone apps. They are usually the easiest way to get cash back for purchases while tracking your savings. Here are my top 5.

1. Find & Save – Mostly in-store offers, which is why I like it. Once you are set up, all you need to do is check the offers daily. You will see offers like “Spend $100 at Kroger, Get 3% Back”. Just snap a pic of your receipt, upload, then they will transfer the amount into your Find&Save account. When you hit $25, the money goes straight into your Paypal account. Wow. How great is that?! Be sure to only use receipts from your household, they do track this and will disconnect your account if you cheat. It’s not worth it.
2. Ibotta – You may have heard of this one as it is one of the most popular rebate apps out there. But it’s all for good reason. They have a lot of items to choose from, including retail stores and restaurants. This one may require patience, mainly because if you’re cashing in items that are popular or “Any Brand” (i.e. Buy any brand of milk, get a $0.25 rebate), then it will take a little longer to see significant results.
3. MobiSave – The best feature of MobiSave is that each and every rebate goes straight into your Paypal account. So you don’t have to get hung up on meeting some savings goal to cash out. They do a fair amount of “Any Brands” which is always a good thing. If you’re an avid magazine reader, definitely sign up. They always seem to have tons of rebates for popular magazines.
4. Checkout 51 – I like this one because they rarely limit you to a few stores. Most of their products will give you cash back, no matter where it was purchased. That’s a great feature! Plus, every week you can enter a sweeps with any grocery receipt amounting to at least $60.
5. Savings Star – They stand out because some of their rebates allow you to add up your purchased products over time. For instance, “Buy $25 worth of Angel Soft, get $5 back” and you usually have a couple months to do this. Once you see 5 whole bucks added to your account, it’s a really good feeling.

While you’re at it, go ahead and download Receipt Hog as well. It takes any and all receipts, no matter if they’re yours or your family and friends. This one requires patience, but has a cute slot machine feature which really does add “coins” to your account when you hit a winning combo. Once the coins add up to a certain amount, you can cash in. Some may think all this work is tedious and that’s ok. I think it’s fun and I like the reward at the end of all that extra work. Cold hard cash!

Mapping Out Mother’s Day

It’s that time of year where well meaning sons and daughters panic a little bit on what to get mom for Mother’s Day. The MOST important day of the year by the way! I’ve found a gift that could be perfect if the mom in your life loves to travel, is planning a vacation or is retired and ready to start her journey as a jet-setting diva! Push Pin Travel Maps are creative, eye-catching and simply a great way to track where you want to go and where you have been. During our honeymoon in Paris, my husband snapped a picture of this map from Père Lachaise – a breathtakingly beautiful cemetery in Mairie De Paris that acts as the final resting place for Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Frédéric Chopin among many other artists. I sure wouldn’t mind a push pin tacked smack dab on Paris, France on a travel map in my home! Have a great Mother’s Day you all!