Thursday, June 30, 2011

Life is Too Short

5:38 PM 2 Comments
Life is too short. There is never enough time. Those are the words that keep running through my mind. I want to introduce you all to someone. This is my friend Joel. He was a beautiful soul, sometimes trapped within a tortured body. I say was because Joel passed away recently. It doesn't seem fair but then again, does death ever seem fair?

I met Joel what seems like a million years ago. He lived in England and I lived in Michigan. Perhaps some would say that we had nothing in common and yet somehow, we clicked with one another. As time went by, as too often happens, childish things get in the way of friendships and even though you're still friends, you allow life to get in the way and you lose touch. Then, out of the blue, you get a phone call that you never see coming. Your friend is gone. It seems cruel and unfair. It doesn't seem real. How could this larger than life personality be gone from this world? Then suddenly it hits you and you're dropped to your knees, tears running down your face as you fight against the pain that has gripped your heart and a part of your soul.

Then slowly, through the haze of your tears, you see a hand reaching out to you. Together, you draw one another to your feet and you hold on. You hold on and you remember this beautiful soul that ties you to one another. You hold on and you know that he wouldn't want you to have regrets. He would encourage you to grab ahold of life and to grab onto all the opportunities that you have in front of you. He would want his death to serve a purpose, not just to have been a flash in your life.

So, Joel, I'm holding onto your memory. I'm holding onto your friends and we're looking to the future. You may not be with us in person, but your spirit will remain here in our hearts. We won't let go. Trust me, my friend, when I tell you that you've changed our lives. You've changed them for the better with your sweetness. You've given us the gift of you and it's allowing us to look at our lives and to make the changes that we need to. I will forever thank the gods that I had the chance to know you. This is not farewell but save me a spot at the bar.

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Monday, June 27, 2011

Monte Carlo

12:01 PM 0 Comments

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Monte Carlo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy. When it comes to movies, I am a girly girl. Ok, I admit, I like the occasional sci-fi (Shhhh! Do not tell anyone!) but romantic comedies get me every time. I've seen the previews for Monte Carlo and all I can say is thank goodness there isn't a local man in my life or I might be tempted to drag him off to see it. There's nothing like a great coming of age, find out who you are movie to bring a couple closer together, right? Maybe? Ok, how about a great chick flick for a girls night out or a bonding experience? I have boys and I can guarantee they won't want to, but if I had a daughter, I'd probably sign us up on July 1st (that's this Friday!) to go see this. 

There is a bonus in that I could go to Fandango starting on June 29th and get my tickets in advance. Have any of you tried that with a movie? I think it would be wonderful to be able to have them before you get there. It saves so much time standing in lines. I remember doing this when I was visiting in England and it was fantastic!

Those were the days before we could go and like a movie over on Facebook though. Now, it's one of my favorite things to do. I go over and I hit like and what's really nice is that I can see which of my friends have also liked the movie. Then, I know which ones to hit up when I want to go see something like Monte Carlo. Sneaky, huh?

So, your mission, should you choose to accept it: Watch the trailer, get the movies, be there on July 1st and then go like the Facebook page so that you can sneakily find out who you're going to drag to see the next awesome movie that's coming out. Ready? Go!

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Monday, June 20, 2011

Review & Giveaway : Chex Mix Muddy Buddies

2:44 PM 24 Comments
Look what we got! Yep, that's a Chex Mix Muddy Buddy package! I've never seen the boys so excited about a product review in my life. When I opened the box and they saw what was inside, they insisted I open the bag then and there. Luckily for them, I'm a nice mom so I opened the bag and poured it into the lidded container. Then, I handed over the container and sat back. The boys loved it! I have to say that when I snagged the container back, I thought it was pretty tasty myself. What I loved most was that it was one of those snacks that I could have a small handful and it totally satisfied my sweet tooth as well as that desire to have something crunchy. I'll confess that the kids loved it more than me, but I'm getting old, you know. I just don't love sweet as much as I did when I was their ages.

Want to know the best part of this? Chex Mix has provided me with a 2nd gift pack to send out to one of you! It will look just like what's in the picture and if you're like me, you're going to love the air tight storage container. I'm in love with it! Want to know how to enter? Well, let me tell you!

Required Entry:
 -- Leave a comment telling me your favorite type of Chex Mix and what you're most excited about in this giveaway.(1 entry)

Bonus Entries:
-- Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure that you include @craftsbykatie in the message. Then come back here and link to your tweet. (Maximum 5 entries)
-- Blog about this giveaway. Come back here and link to your post. (3 entries)
-- Follow Life With Katie using Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs (must be a public follower). (1 entry)

Giveaway will end June 26th at 11:59pm EST. All entries after that time will not be accepted. Maximum 10 entries per person.

I received the gift pack shown from Chex Mix via MyBlogSpark for the purpose of this review & giveaway. All comments, thoughts and views are 100% mine because we all know I hate to be told what to say. ;) 

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Walgreens Brand Vitamins

8:01 AM 0 Comments

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

120x30_WalgrensTransparentLogo Advertisement A while back, I wrote a post telling you about my experiences with a sample of Walgreens  Brand One Daily for Women Vitamins. Now, I'm back to tell you how much I really liked these. This was the first time, in a very long time, that I had tried out a multi-vitamin and I was really pleased that not only did my body tolerate it, it seemed to enjoy it. In the past, I've had problems with vitamins upsetting my stomach. Thankfully, not this one! 

What I also liked is that while these are a store brand (Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products), they're still pharmacist recommended and they're so much easier on the wallet. If you're like me, every penny counts and we've all learned that it's not cheap to stay healthy! So, when I find a brand that not only helps me to stay well but is well priced, you can count me in as a consumer! Plus, for every one of their products purchased, the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™ helps bring preventative services to local communities!

Now, as if that isn't awesome enough, there are several bloggers out there who are giving away Walgreens Gift cards! We all know how much this girl loves good giveaways! You don't want to miss out on the chance to win one of these! 

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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Book Review: Curiosities of the Civil War

2:48 PM 0 Comments

Hi all! I'm back with another book review. This time, it's for Curiosities of the Civil War by Webb Garrison. In this book, Mr. Garrison covers a variety of topics pertaining to the Civil War.

Now, I have to say that this is not a history book in the way that most people think of history books. It's more of what I would call an anecdote book. The book is divided into 9 different sections. Each section focuses on a different topic and each section is then divided into 2-4 paragraphs focusing on an individual person, event or subject.  Since it's laid out this way, you can choose to read for 5 minutes or for 5 hours.

I found the topics interesting and it's an easy read. You would have to actually have an interest in history though to find this book interesting. It's not a general reader. All in all, it's a pretty good book and for history buffs, it's one you might want to add to your shelf.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book as a Book Sneeze book reviewer. All comments, thoughts and opinions are 100% mine because we all know that I hate to be told what to think or say. ;)


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