Julep is on Sale today!!!

I can't say enough about Julep nail polish! Except that they're on SALE today on Zulily!!!

For as little as $24.99 you can get 4 colors and some quick dry drops. 
I have to tell you...I live by these quick dry drops!
If you've been waiting to get some Julep, today is the day!!!

 This was my collection a couple months ago...I'm always expanding it and looking for the good deals!

 This color is: Gayle! And yes I'm in love with it because it's purple!!!

 This is the Quick Dry Drops, and if you're a busy person like me, I highly recommend you get this.  One drop on each nail and I don't have the problems with half dried nails and getting them messed up.  So, if you've been wanting to try Julep, I would head over and get some before they sell out...and these will sell out fast!!!

Is There A Sign On My Forehead?

OK, will someone please tell me if I'm wrong.  Is there a sign on my head that says, "she's an idiot, don't listen to her" or "she doesn't know what she's talking about"? Because today, even though it was polite, I got the brush off from another community oriented place.  Seriously, before you brush someone off and make them feel inferior or make them feel like they're bothering you, look at who they are.  If someone is VOLUNTEERING their services, look at what they can do, look at their information  or SOMETHING before you tell them to "go ask so and so" or "she's really busy today." Because people like me...yeah...if you make me feel like crap I won't help you out or donate anything, or even offer my knowledge.  

Yesterday, I asked to speak with the director of a place.  Here's about how it went.

"May I ask who's calling?" 

Yes, My name is Marcella Cook.

"May I ask who you are with?"

Myself.

"May I ask what this is in regards to?"

Yes, ma'am, I'm wanting to offer to teach classes on social media and also to offer classes on couponing and how to save money.

"Please hold.

OK no problem.

Holding...holding....holding...holding.

Click..."let me transfer you" 

Thank You.

"This is so and so's voicemail, please leave a message and I will get back to you etc"

(I'm not sure what it said because I hung up.)

Seriously...I know that you told her what you thought was important, and gave her the information and THEN transfered me straight to her voicemail.  I'M. NOT. AN. IDIOT. 

Though there are people in this town that think they are qualified to tell me that!

So, I called back. 

Same thing...This is Marcella Cook etc etc.

"Hold please."

Yes, ma'am.

 "Ma'am she's actually in an interview."

OK seriously, you're going to tell me this NOW...after you had me on hold again?  Do you honestly think that I'm that much of an idiot?  If so, you don't deserve to have that job.

Then today...I actually walked into a place.

"Well, our Facebook page is run by a couple of our volunteers and they're busy right now."

OK, can you please let her know that Marcella Cook is here and I spoke with her last night.

"She's really busy doing this and she can't be bothered because she's busy."

OK, can I wait.

"I don't know how long it's going to take."

Is there any way that you can tell her I'm here?

"They're in the middle of this and they need to finish it."

Ummm...OK.   Seriously.  If you're a place that relies HEAVILY on dontations, do you really think you should brush someone off?

Now, I know that some of this may be because I have the broken front tooth.  But, before you judge a person on how they look, you should get to know that person.  Yes, my teeth are a mess...but it's not for lack of insurance or funds.  It's because of TIME.  See, there's only certain places that accept our insurance and the dentists around here don't like it very much.  So, in order for me to go to the dentist, I have to make a day trip to Livingston.  Then arrange for DH to take care of Monster etc etc.  Before when Monster was in daycare, this was fine because we would be home before 5PM, but now he gets off the bus at 11:30 AM every day.  Which totally cuts out these trips.  Not to mention, the last time that we had everything set up, I found out I was pregnant.  So, this isn't just something that I can say, "Yeah, I'm going to do this next week", it takes planning and arranging.

Oh yeah, the reason my teeth are messed up...it's called Dilantin...a medicine that I take for seizures.  It's the one that works for me, but it has the bad side effects of destroying someones teeth.  It's not because I have poor dental hygiene, because before I was on Dilantin, I had beautiful teeth!!!  This isn't something that I can help or prevent...these were messed up from the INSIDE OUT.  

So, yeah...the place I went to today (I'm not saying where, but I think they have a good idea), THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL INFERIOR!!! You know know what a valuable resource you lost out on!!! 

It's a Swag Bucks Birthday Celebration Today

Today is the 5th Birthday of Swag Bucks!  A lot of you have asked me how I get all my free stuff and gift cards.  Well, Swag Bucks is one way.  What I usually with Swag Bucks is save my bucks and then redeem them for Amazon gift codes, since they don't expire once you put them in your account.  

And today you will have the opportunity to earn 135 bucks through Swag Codes alone!!!!! Swag Codes are codes that are released throughout the day for various point amounts, so if you want to start with Swag Bucks, today is a GREAT day to do it.

Swag Bucks is also giving out five $1000 prizes for participation today!!! If you wanted a reason to join Swag Bucks, this alone would be worth it!!  

You can find more information on the big Birthday Bash HERE, and see the progress of the puzzle HERE.  Also, if you want to join Swag Bucks, you can join HERE. I promise it's fun and easy to earn!!

Pinto Pony Cookie Review and Giveaway

So, it's toward the end of February and I hope y'all are keeping your New Year Resolutions.  I know I'm certainly trying.  On the losing weight, I've been looking for things to help me on that quest. 

Last week, while shopping for dinner at Brookshire Brothers, I discovered Pinto Pony Cookies.  These cookies are a little different because they're healthy.  They have old-fashioned rolled oats and ZERO trans fat!!!  They also have Breakfast Bars which I have fallen in love with!  Their breakfast bars are good and good for you.  These are my new diet breakfast! I have finally found a cookie treat that I can give Monster and not worry about what he's eating.  They also have gluten free cookies for those that are going gluten free or are allergic. 

I also went to their restaurant in San Augustine, TX to try it out and I'm amazed.  The day that we went, I had the Taco Salad with Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream.  I've never had a taco salad like this, but I'm hooked now!  

Another AWESOME thing about these cookies...they ship ANYWHERE!!! So, for my military friends and fans, yes they can ship to your spouses and family overseas.  And here's the really cool thing...they have a Cookie of the Month, so you can pay once a year and either get 2 bags of cookies every month or every other month, depending on which subscription you want.  For those that are absent minded (yeah I'm talking about you...you know who you are!) you can automatically get your dose of Pinto Pony Cookies sent to you!  How much easier can it get?  

P.S.  These make a great gift!!!

For those that like to just sample and don't eat a lot of sweets, like DH, they have gift boxes. These are a wonderful idea for any occasion like MOTHER'S DAY (which is coming up soon), Father's Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and of course Christmas.  They have 3 different size boxes, and for those that are looking for corporate gifts, they can accommodate you also. Pinto Pony Cookies also has those really cool tumblers.  They also have coffee mugs for those that like coffee with their cookies.  And for those that spoil their dogs, like we do, they have "Funky Chicken" dog treats.  These dog treats have been approved by Buddy who would do anything, including "sit" for them.  Finally I have a treat that he actually wants and won't bury in the yard!!!

Now comes the fun part.  The wonderful folks at Pinto Pony Cookie are going to give a Cookie of the Month subscription to one lucky TheMarciFactor fan!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  *Disclaimer: I received product at either free or reduced cost for this review.  The opinions are entirely my own, and have not been influenced in any way. 

Monster is participating in Pasta for Pennies

We're always trying to teach Monster to be civic minded and always donate when he can.  

Since this is his first year at school, we're finding out that there's a lot of things he's doing during the school year.  And so far, he's been a good participant.  

Right now he's participating in the Pasta for Pennies event to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Their mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.  We've personally had some friends affected by leukemia and Hodgkin's Disease.  So, this means a lot to us. 

I think this is until the end of February, but the donation page says there's 76 days before the event.  

So, I would love for Monsters' school to have a really good participation in this and I know a lot of my readers are as cash strapped as I usually am.  But, I am putting this out there on the off chance that people can donate.  

Here's Monster with his little box for donations!  (Ain't he cute?)

So, you can go HERE to read all about it and donate!  We're going to take this cute box to church and to our Monthly meetings to get spare change...but he already has A LOT in his piggy bank that we can put in there...if you remember this picture.  

Any little bit helps, and even if you can't donate, please spread the word about this!  Thanks in advance!! And I know Monster will thank you!!!

IdeaPaint's Valentine's Day Giveaway

Have you heard of IdeaPaint?  No?  Well, it's basically a whiteboard that you can paint on a wall in your home or office and turn that wall into a whiteboard.  This is GREAT for those houses that have kids that like to draw on walls.  Not only is this great for kids, but it's also AWESOME for adults to use. Even for those bloggers that I know...you can paint a little area around your desk and you have an instant whiteboard there!!! Their kits are incredibly easy to apply.  The containers are marked, this and that so that you don't get them confused and easy to follow directions. 

IdeaPaint is having a Valentine's Day Giveaway for a kit of  100 square feet of their IdeaPaint CLEAR and accessories.  (I have no clue what the accessories are...LOL)

I'm going to enter this one even though I already have a kit for 50 square feet of their regular whiteboard paint.  As soon as we graduate Monster to a bigger bed, we're going to paint some of it in his room and some in the hallway where we post important notes. 

I hope you enter and if you do, I really hope you win because this stuff is priceless!!

I Feel Pretty

Today I woke up and decided that I need to feel pretty.  So, after I got Monster on the bus, I did my makeup.  And, not my 5 minute everyday makeup.  I decided to go all out today, and I wanted to tell you how I got the look.  Sooo...here goes!

This is the finished product and this is how I got the look. My hair band is the Roses Headband from Lilla Rose.

I started with my COVERGIRL+ Olay Tonerehab 2-In-1 Foundation that I got from BzzAgent.  (I love being a BzzAgent!) 

Then, I used the Revlon Photoready eye shadow palatte #505 Impressionist.  I love this because it adds that little bit of sparkle that I love!! 

For the eyeliner, I used a base of Loreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator for blue eyes. (The link will take you to the brown eyes, but this shows you what it looks like.)  Then I used my Eye Kandy glitter for eyeliner.  I topped that off with the Loreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara, copper for blue eyes.  

For my lips, I used my new Burt's Bees Lip Gloss in Starry Night topped with Lippy in Fiddlesticks from Butter London.  

I really like the finished look on my eyes.  I don't use blush because I have naturally rosy cheeks and blush would overpower everything...trust me on this one...LOL.

So, today when I got to IHOP for National Pancake Day to support my local Shriners, I'm going to feel pretty!!!

FREE Bracelet for You AND a FRIEND!!

I found this yesterday, but I wasn't in the mood for posting, so it's here today.  If you head over  HERE, you can get a FREE "Be a Heart Hero" bracelet for you and a friend.  I ordered mine, and it should be in soon.  

So, who is your best friend?  Who are you going to give your "friend" bracelet to?  I'm giving mine to my Egg!!  She is my inspiration and my laughter!!

Tuesday, February 5 is National Pancake Day

OK, all my friends and fans!!! Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 is National Pancake Day!!!

IHOP started National Pancake Day Celebration in 2006, which gives you a FREE short stack of pancakes.  All they ask is to consider leaving a donation to the local charity that is up there.

Now...why is this important to me?  Well, here in East TX, it's the Shriners that go up to IHOP and they get the donations.  For those that don't know...the Shriners are associated with the Masons, and DH is a Mason, and we're both a member of OES.  So, this is something that is near and dear to my heart.   The Shriners help out so many children and they do so on donations!!!

Here's a couple pics to enjoy!

So head out and support your local charity tomorrow, and enjoy your pancakes!!!

FREE T-shirt

This one is really easy!!! All you have to do is go HERE and put your information in.  It says everyone that enters gets a FREE t-shirt and ya'll know how I am about t-shirts!!! LOL

Yeah, I know this one is short...but I figured ya'll would like a FREE t-shirt!